The Piper Boy
by HeyIt'sKat01
Summary: Amily had no cares for village life. But when she loses her father her whole world changes. Every night she would pray for something, anything, to happen that would replace the emptiness in her life. One night her prayers were answered. In a dream a boy comes to her and stands at her window. He tells her that there's a place she can go to be rid of all this. To start a new life.
1. Prologue

Amily ran. Through her panic she realized how well she knew the forest and how easy it was to navigate and avoid stumbling. She guessed it was just one of the many things that had changed since she had come to Neverland.

She could hear the whooshing of a certain somebody flying above her. He seemed to be giving her a head start. Through that and the sound of her running feet, twigs snapping beneath her, Amily could hear the whooping and tribal cheering that was the Lost Boys gaining steadily.

"This is a game to them" she thought to herself.

Something dived next to her only to climb quickly back into the sky and she could smell the scent that she thought she knew as well as her own. Wood, nettles and pine needles. Pan was taunting her.

The sprinting footsteps behind her quickened and Amily turned her head. Through the thickness of bushes and shrubbery she could see Felix running effortlessly, a cruel smile on his face. He winked as if knowing there was no escape.

Which, Amily figured, there probably wasn't. Pan had said himself, no one gets off the island without permission. But there was no way she wouldn't try. She could not, would not, stay here. Not a chance.

As if thrown into some adrenaline filled craze, the boys behind her hollered excitedly. Amily could hear a chuckle coming from above her. It didn't sound as far away as she thought.

Her heart had lept into her throat and all other thoughts abandoned her but one. Escape. She had to escape. Forcing what energy she had left into her tired legs she pushed forward, not giving in. The excitement and gleeful apprehension felt by all around her was so sickly vibrant, it was as if she could feel it wrapping around her like a net.

A hysterical giggle erupted out of Amily as she heard her chasers footsteps begin to slow down. This was it! She was finally free. Even the sound of Pan flying overhead had ceased and all was quiet. She couldn't stop running, not now. Even though the boys had given up no where was safe until the sun came up.

The feeling of freedom and victory disappeared as though it never existed when Amily felt hands atop her shoulders, hauling her into the air. Once high enough off the ground the hands let go letting Amily plummet to the ground. A small fall, but high enough. She hit the ground hard and hated the dizzy, dazed feeling that followed. Shaking her head free of it she rubbed her eyes, stunned.

Above her stood at least 6 Lost Boys, Felix included.

He nodded to someone standing behind her and Amily let out a scream. Her attempt to scramble off the ground and fight her way free was cut short when a sharp pain was felt at the back of her head. And then there was only darkness.


	2. Chapter 1

_*3 Weeks Ago*_

It was the same thing everyday. Nothing changed in such a small village. To Amily it was as if everything stayed in the same grey blur it had always been for her entire life. And she was scared things would never change.

Even the people she encountered everyday seemed to say and do the exact same thing. Her daily walk to the market was probably as exciting as the day got.

"Morning Amily!" said one familiar grocer. Amily tried to name him but couldn't. A friend of a neighbour perhaps?

So she smiled and kept browsing through the same things she browsed through yesterday.

After purchasing some dried fruit, nuts and cheap cow-hide blanket Amily spotted something she had not seen yesterday. Strawberries! Just the smell of them bought back memories from her childhood, when everyday was an adventure. After returning home covered in dirt from wrestling pilgrims or defending pixies her father would give her strawberries, freshly picked from the neighbouring village's farms. But as Amily grew older and her father's cough grew louder there came no more strawberries. Maybe just a few would cheer him up...

"Morning!" she said cheerfully to the vendor.

He wore a hood and Amily couldn't see his face. His back was bent and he paid her no attention. Whatever had his attention at his feet must've been captivating. He didn't even bother to murmer a response. Amily tried again, persistent.

"I'd like to buy some strawberries, please" she grinned sweetly. The vendor grunted in curiosity. And, still without looking up from the floor, he asked:

"How many?" he grumbled. His voice was nothing more than a hoarse bark.

"Six please" said Amily politely. Even six of the small berries would cost more than her sweet pennies.

"That'll be twelve silvers" he voice became clearer now with the prospect of money on the horizon. She guessed not many people could afford strawberries in the harsh winter. Buisness must have been hard but twelve silvers was unimaginable. Amily tried to think of an alternative.

"I'm sorry I only have eight pennies" she said slowly.

"That won't even buy you one strawberry, hon." said the vendor and Amily could see a yellow-toothed grin beneath the hood.

"Is there anything else I could give you?" she asked pleadingly.

Finally the face revealed itself. An ugly one but younger than she expected. He probably couldn't match her father's age, though ills had aged her father by a century. She tried to avoid cringing away from the ugly man and stood her ground. Amily managed a small smile.

"I like your necklace" grunted the vendor.

Amily sighed. She should have seen this coming. She weighed the options in her mind. What mattered more, the strawberries that would bring at least a smile to her father's weathered face or some pendant from a grandparent she couldn't remember? Slowly Amily unclasped the pendant from around her neck and placed it in the vendor's wrinkled, calloused hand.

"I'll need the pennies too" The vendor had a customer and she was desperate. He'd get what he wanted without question.

Rolling her eyes in frustration Amily pulled the pennies from her purse and held out her hand for the strawberries.

"Happy now?" she slammed the pennies on the counter loudly. The vendor seemed unaffected and seemed to mimick her sweet smile from moments ago.

"Have a nice day" he said sickeningly.

Amily ran all the way home. She couldn't wait to show these strawberries to her father. They'd share them like the old days and it would be like nothing's changed. She sighed happily as she reached the steps to her family's old cottage.

Practically bounding to her father's room she threw open the door.

Silence hung in the air as Amily took in the scene before her. Her mother knelt beside her father's bed and she looked pale. On the opposite side of the room were her siblings, her older brother Marcus and the youngest, Timothy. They both looked sullen.

Amily gasped and ran for her father's side. She knew what came next. The only time the family had gathered like this in a room was when her father hadn't stopped coughing for several minutes and they waited for what they thought was the end. But there was none of that now. Everyone knew what was coming, this was the end.

"Papa...I..." she stuttered, completely unprepared for what was coming.

But all at once she saw her mother's paleness, her brothers' sad surprise and her father's vacant eyes and gasped in horror. While bargaining for strawberries and browsing the supermarket for the fifth time this week, it had already happened. Amily's father was dead.

"Papa!" she sobbed. "I... I bought... strawberries" she whimpered out the words and leant her head on her father's now cold arm, not holding back tears. Amily didn't even notice when her family left the room.


	3. Chapter 2

The funeral was a quick one due to the lack of funds. There was a priest there to say some empty words of no meaning to Amily. Some of the villagers turned up, family friends and neighbours. Amily's father was buried at the village cemetery but there was no tombstone. They just simply couldn't afford it.

Once the funeral was over everybody had left to get out of the cold. Outside it was snowing lightly but hard enough to keep the markets closed and everyone inside. Everyone except Amily. For how long she knelt by her father's grave, she didn't know. But when the tears started to leave frozen tracks on her face she finally had to tear herself away. With one last goodbye she made her way back home.

Her house was a quiet chaos. Timothy refused to leave the room he shared with Marcus despite his brother's constant pleading and her mother sat at the chipped, wooden dining table with a mug of something hot and sickly-sweet smelling in her hands. She was no longer crying. Her face was expressionless.

Amily just went straight to her room and cried into her pillow. She wondered why she was this upset. Her father had been on his death bed for so long now, it was only a matter of time. But even while sick he tried his best to still be part of the family. But his attempts just made Amily see the broken man that he had become all the more clearly.

She didn't know how long she had cried for but when Amily finally looked up from her soaked pillow it was dark outside and she could tell by the lack of crying and soft snores from the next room that her family had gone to bed.

Amily laid back on her pillows and stared up at the ceiling. It seemed like shopping for strawberries had happened a million years ago and yet it was only yesterday. So much had happened that she just felt drained. And Amily knew it wasn't just her father's death that had made her so weak, it was her life. Her whole life of knowing exactly what was going to happen and having everything laid out before her like a meal to devour was killing her slowly. She, like her father, might as well have already been on her death bed.

"Please, someone somewhere, save me. Take me away from all this. Please" she whispered, praying to a god she didn't believe in for just a bit of luck.

Amily didn't recall how or when she went to sleep, she only knew that a breeze billowing in from the window across the room was what awakened her. Instantly she knew something was wrong. She was sure the window was closed when she came in...

Grabbing a vase off her dressing table as a makeshift weapon she leapt off the bed and prepared to pounce. The window was at least 6 feet from the ground and it was winter so whatever had opened the window couldn't still be there, unless they wanted to freeze.

Suddenly, as if imagined out of fear and doubt, Amily saw something just barely flick past the window-sill. A moth? Snow? But there was only one thing it could really be. A shadow.

For some unknown reason, Amily set the vase back down on the table. She felt instantly drawn to the window desperate to know what was lurking in the dark. Time slowed as she took steady, hesitant steps towards the window and peered out. Alas, nothing but snow and the cool eeriness of night. Amily didn't know what she felt. Disappointment?

"Hello?" she called out curiously.

In reply the shadow flicked across Amily's gaze, leaving her stunned. Something whooshed past her. She froze. Whatever it was, it was in the room with her now.

Turning slowly around to meet the intruder Amily was more than surprised to find no one there but a dark shadow looming in front of her. Two bright, white eyes gazed down at her from the head of the shadow. A scream got caught in Amily's throat and all she could do was gasp. Sheer terror enveloped her as she stared at the shadow.

When words started to come back she was able to speak, her voice sounding choked by fear.

"What do you want?" she asked hoping the anxiety didn't show. She wasn't even sure if she was in fact awake. Shadows didn't travel by themselves, they were always attached to something. It was then -with a voice as silky as satin yet dark as night- that the shadow spoke back to her.

"The question is, what do you want?" it said, unmoving.

It was meant to be a cryptic question, Amily could tell. First she was confused and then it dawned on her. She searched deep into her self to find what she truly wanted and there it was. It had been there all along.

"To be free" said Amily simply. She forced her shoulders back and looked the shadow square in the face. She was no longer afraid. Maybe this shadow was a sign.

Without another word the shadow flew gracefully past Amily and out the window, leaving as abruptly as it came in.

The next day passed without any more unnatural occurences and Amily was beginning to wonder whether or not the shadow had been a dream or some grief-driven thought. All the nonsense she had thought about a 'sign' and shadows being able to move on their own seemed ridiculous.

Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her as she moved about the village. The snow had settled so Amily thought that the best way to clear her head of death and shadows was to go for a walk. Yet her thoughts just seemed to follow.

When evening came and Amily arrived at home she went straight to her bedroom and threw the door shut behind her. She ran straight to the window and looked out hoping for some sign that the strange shadow would return. This was as close as she had come to something different happening in her life and if the shadow was her only way from this village Amily would... well... she wasn't sure what she would do. That part was undecided yet.

The cold breeze from the window was gentle and when the first stars began to make themselves seen to the world Amily knelt down and set her head down on the sill. To anyone else it would almost look like she was praying. She stared up at the sky with hopeless longing. Every night in her dreams Amily would see this place. Such a wonderful place it was yet it was unreachable. She was always on the outside of it, barred from ever entering. And every morning she woke with a desire to see that place again.

Her eyelids grew heavy and once again she was in that dream that she had begun to know so well. This time in the dream she was flying above the magical place. It looked like an island, with crystal blue waters and snowy white sands. It was paradise. Try and try as she might Amily just couldn't reach the island. She could only stare at it and it's beauty. Suddenly the dream changed. She knew she was stll dreaming even though the scene turned into her own bedroom because daylight shone through the window. But sunlight wasn't the only thing that filled the window.

A boy. He looked about 16 years of age, not too much older than she was. His head was cocked to the side curiously and his mouth held an attractive smirk as if he'd been waiting for this situation. Even in the dream Amily felt drawn yet repulsed. He had a dangerous aura about him.

He wore a loose shirt of a dark green material with brown trousers held up with a simple brown belt and on his feet were brown hiking boots. Around his neck was a necklace of braided twigs and around his wrists wore leather cuffs. Everything about him screamed wild and dangerous yet dream-Amily was not afraid. She was tranfixed, frozen in her place staring in awe. He laughed as if noticing her astonishment.

"You wish for a place to go? To escape?" he said in a voice that was as charming as it was dangerous. It oozed the power of persuasion and he wore it easily. Amily was surprised as she took in what he had said. The only person, if she could even call it that, that she had told was the shadow.

"Y-yes" she stuttered.

He tilted his head up and was looking down at her smugly as if he was in on a secret and she wasn't.

"Would you leave all this behind to get there?" said the boy.

Without even thinking about it because she didn't need to, she nodded.

"Is there such a place? Could I really be free?" she asked not being able to control her dream-self's earnestness.

He smiled and walked towards her. Just a few steps across the room and he was right there in front of Amily. He was at least a foot taller than she was and had to bend down to look her directly in the eyes.

"There is. It's a marvelous place. It's what dreams are made of!" he said suddenly excited.

His now loud jubilent voice would have brought her mother in from the next room. But this was dream and nothing happened. Amily stared into his earthy green eyes and even while asleep she could feel a dizzy weightlessness as if freedom was coming early.

"What's this place called?" asked Amily curious. The boy grinned mischievously.

"Neverland"

The name rang through her head and filled her with a giddy joy. Even the name sounded magical. She smiled.

"How do I get there?" she asked, persistently.

"Trust the shadow and whatever you do, don't fight it" was all he said.

That familiar whooshing sound filled her ears and forced her awake. In front of her, outside the window, floated the shadow from the other evening. If shadows could stare this one's was full of dull expectancy as if it were waiting for something. It held out a dark hand, motioning for Amily to take it.

"Whatever you do, don't fight it" the voice of the strange boy from her dream echoed in her mind and the feeling of freedom returned as if already in her grasp.

Without hesitation, Amily slid her hand into the shadow's leaving her past life behind.


	4. Chapter 3

Peter Pan sat on a log in front of the bonfire. His Lost Boys danced wildly around him but Pan was not feeling the urge to join in. His pipe sat on his lap yet he had no desire to play it. Staring into the fire he thought about his actions and the consequences that could follow. Since Wendy, a girl had never set foot onto Neverland of her own accord. It was a place strictly for the deepest and wildest dreams of boys. In Pan's opinion, girls just couldn't handle what Neverland had to offer.

Until now. This girl had chosen to leave her life behind in exchange for somewhere she had only visited in her dreams. The only person Peter knew that had done that was himself. What did that make this girl? A powerful new addition to a wonderful new game.

"Peter? If I didn't know any better you have a plan in mind." Pan looked up to see the pointed face of his right-hand man, Felix, staring down at him.

Being his most loyal 'brother', Pan was not surprised that Felix had caught him in mid-thought. All he could do was nod as Felix sat down beside him.

"Why the girl?" said Felix talking quietly to avoid eavesdroppers.

Pan thought to himself for a moment. He had been asking himself the exact same question yet the answer was simple.

"It's a new game, Felix. One I've been looking forward to for awhile"

"But what kind of game involves a girl?" Felix suddenly sounded ten years old.

"I'm just curious. She gave up her whole life to come here with only a dream to guide her. Speaking of which... it won't be long now" Pan lifted his head to the stars and closed his eyes as if listening for something.

"We've had a girl here before. Remember how that played out?" said Felix.

"If you're referring to Wendy, that was different. She's a child and wasn't as special as this one..." Pan broke off thinking about his time with Wendy. She was so young, not much fun at all.

"What makes this one special?" said Felix cautiously.

"Enough questions Felix!" hissed Pan and fixed Felix a deadly stare. Felix didn't cower but looked at his feet in defeat.

Suddenly a shock wave vibrated across the island. The boys stopped dancing and looked up and around in wonder. Pan didn't need to think twice about it. He knew what that wave meant. It was time.

The shadow had bought him his prize.

The flight to Neverland was absolutely horrible. The shadow hauling Amily through the air by one arm was the worst part. She followed the strange boy's instructions and tried not to squirm but her arm could have been ripped out of it's socket and she wouldn't even know. The fear of how high they had flown had taken over and if any pain was felt it was incomparable to the sheer terror Amily felt at the fact that the shadow wasn't going to fly any lower any time soon.

Not being allowed to switch arms at any time during the flight was difficult and soon her arm became numb with exhaustion. But it was when she had finally arrived when everything about her seeped relief. So it was real! Neverland was really here right in front of her. Though maybe it was coming a bit too fast. Too late to realize that the shadow had released her from his grip, Amily was hurtling towards the sandy beach. In what seemed like a split second she was on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Welcome" said a familiar voice. Amily looked up and wasn't surprised at who she saw.

The boy from her dreams looked all the more dangerous in the flesh yet this time Amily had to remind herself that he was real. There was just something so hypnotic about him, she couldn't help but stare. Without thinking, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"You're... you're real!" she squealed in excitement and a little fear.

He laughed and rolled his eyes playfully, coming to sit down on the sand beside her. Out of thin air he produced a wet rag and offered it to her. Amily was confused.

"You've got quite a bad bump on the head, love" he said before dabbing it clean himself.

The pain in her head made itself known and suddenly she was dizzy and everything was a blur. She leant into the cold press and Amily could smell the strong earthy scent on him. Wood, nettles and pine needles.

She smiled gratefully before replying, "Who are you?"

He examined her wound carefully before answering.

"My name is Peter Pan" he said casually without looking at her, yet Amily could feel the power behind the name. He practically radiated it.

"NIce to meet you Peter Pan. My name is-" he cut her off

"Oh, I already know your name. I already know everything about you" he looked her in the eyes and Amily couldn't help but feel afraid of the playful glint in his own.

Peter Pan stood up off the ground and offered a hand to Amily. She wasn't sure how well she could walk but there didn't seem any point in arguing.

"Would you like to meet the boys?" he said, smiling playfully.

"No girls?" said Amily.

"No of course not. You're the first!" Pan was sure that Amily wouldn't be able to see through his lie and it felt good being able to say it so confidently and see the joy in her eyes. She felt special, valued. And that was important. He could see Amily trying to hide it but she was grinning to the ground.

"Come" he offered her his arm. "Come and meet the lost boys"


	5. Chapter 4

Neverland was incredible. Amily couldn't believe she was finally seeing it, feeling it, even smelling it for real! Her dreams really had come true.

And Peter Pan made the perfect tour guide. He was charming and funny and the stories he told were addictive. Amily was sure Neverland was the place for her... and now she had one more reason to stay. With her arm looped through his she had never felt more special.

"How long have you lived here?" she asked interupting one of his many stories about adventures with the Lost Boys.

He thought about it for a second and then answered, "For as long as I can remember". Pan knew it another lie but he also knew that this girl wasn't ready to know he used to be an adult. Not yet.

"What happened?" Her voice sounded concerned as if she was expecting a sob story. Pan played along with a story he had come to know well.

"My mother abandoned me and my father was killed. Gambling debt." he wore a stony expression as he explained. Amily figured it was a difficult topic to discuss.

"I'm sorry" she squeezed his arm comfortingly and he smiled to himself.

"Don't be. I can't stand apologies" he shook his head briskly and smirked, shrugging of any awkwardness.

Amily laughed, relieved. She didn't want to start her adventures with a sad experience. There was no time for that.

"So, what kind of things do you get up to with the Lost Boys?" she asked, desperate to know of what her future life would have in store for her.

"Well, dear Amily." he said looking sideways at her with a playful smile "You'll have to wait and see.

Pan was delighting in his new game. He was having so much fun! Things had been so boring lately on the island. Everyday was the same. Hunt, fly, taunt, swim maybe, then play his pipe while the boys danced until one by one they fell asleep. It was the life he had always wanted but now that he had it needed some spice. It needed something new. A shiny new piece to play with.

When the two of them arrived at the camp the boys were busily sharpening weapons or play-fighting. No-one looked up as they entered and Amily was a little anxious. She had forgotten about the legendary wildness of Neverland that Peter had talked about so passionately. She eyed their weapons fearfully. Pan let her arm drop to her side and walked into the centre of the camp confidentally. Standing tall on a tree stump he called his boys attention.

"My brothers!" every boy's head snapped to attention and they all stood up.

"I would like to welcome someone new to our island. Amily" he gestured Amily forward and grabbed her hand to hold it up high.

"She is our sister now and our special guest. This is the first time we have had a real girl set foot on our island and into this camp!" the boys all looked at each other and sniggered.

Amily knew that look from her own brothers, they were sizing her up like prey.

"I'll how them" she thought. "No boy will mess with me"

But with the thought of her own brothers lingering in her mind, a sad feeling of guilt washed over her. She wished they were here with her now.

"How about a game to truly introduce you to everyone?" Amily realised Pan was looking at her now with his intense green eyes. She smiled, feeling cocky, and raised her chin.

"Sure. Just don't go easy on me" she winked at Peter and cocked her head at the boys. They all laughed. Amily was surprised at her sudden confidence.

"Felix, get her a weapon" said Peter, nodding to a tall boy standing to his right. He had a cruel glint in his eye as he sauntered over to where the weapons were stacked. He gestured Amily over with a flick of his head.

She maintained her look of arrogant confidence but walked over cautiously. She was relieved when Pan strode over to join them.

"You'll need to change" he said briskly.

Just now did Amily really notice how inappropriately she was dressed. The shadow had taken he straight after she had woken from sleep. She was still in her night-gown!

"I- I'm afraid I don't have anything else" Amily was so embarrassed and could feel the blood rush to her cheeks.

As if something she had said was hilariously funny both boys burst out laughing and Pan punched her, not at all gently, on the shoulder.

"I forgot you're not from here" Within an instant he was no longer in front of her but behind her, whispering in Amily's ear.

"Neverland is a place of dreams and imagination. It's a place where wishes come true and if you believe in it, anything is possible" Amily could feel his breath on her neck and, with Felix still watching looking a tad amused, closed her eyes to truly take in what Pan was saying.

"Just think about what you really want and it will come to you" he said this part even quieter this time and Amily forced back a shiver.

In her mind she conjured up an image of the perfect outfit for such an occasion as she was expecting. Loose fitting clothes, not unlike the ones Pan was wearing, but those fit for a lady such as herself. With soft leather boots and bracelets. In the back of her head Amily heard something like a sigh.

"Amily, open your eyes" she heard Peter say in her ear.

Slowly she did as he said and looked down at herself. The exact clothes she had imagined had replaced her drab night-gown. They fitted perfectly and were very comfortable. Even her hair was tied up into a messy pony-tail with a strap of leather. Feathers were woven into her auburn locks and they stretched down her shoulder, making her look all the more wild. Pan could see Amily's eyes light up with wonder.

"That's incredible!" she said and he chuckled quietly.

"Go on Felix" Pan looked at Felix expectantly and he nodded, shuffling through the stack of weapons.

"A dagger for your belt" he said, handing it hilt-up to Amily. She inserted it into the allotted space in her belt with ease.

"Which are you more comfortable with?" Felix held up a bow in one hand and a long-sword in another.

"I've never shot before" she said. He nodded, understanding, and handed her the long-sword. Amily grasped the hilt.

"How does it feel?" asked Pan. He was looking at her with an expression of gleeful anticipation.

Amily held the sword vertically in front of her face with two hands. It was surprisingly light and power surged through her. She _swooshed _it around, faking a battle, and felt ready for anything.

"It feels...right" she said and lowered the sword. Pan smiled, satisfied.

"But what game would we play that could possibly involve fighting?" asked Amily innocently.

Peter put his hand on her back and guided her away as Felix helped the other boys prepare.

"It's quite simple really. The boys and I split up to all directions of the island and hide. The objective of the game is to make it back to the camp alive."

"Alive?" she giggled but doubt clouded her mind. "You don't really hurt each other do you?"

Pan cocked his head and raised one eyebrow. His face was utterly serious.

"That depends" he said cryptically.

"On what?" asked Amily.

"On how much we all want to survive"

On that note Pan winked slyly and moved back to his tree stump to make another announcement.

"Alright boys! Let's play!"


	6. Chapter 5

Amily didn't even have to think. Instinct took over as she followed the Lost Boys' actions and ran from the camp. As soon as the game was announced the boys instantly stopped mucking around and all of sudden, as if between blinks, the camp was deserted and Amily could hear running footsteps around the perimeter. Without a second thought, she followed, carrying her sword at her side.

But for a second she hesistated. The sword was quite light but bulky to carry. And what if, instead of being attacked, Amily was the one who had to do the attacking? There was no way a huge sword like that would't give her away! It was for combat not steath. Steath was a job for the dagger at her belt.

Swiping a scabbard off the table she fastened it to her belt and slipped in her long-sword. The scabbard was meant for easy access but it just made things more awkward to walk.

The sword bumped at her legs as she ran and Amily found it surprisingly reassuring. It reminded her that she wasn't just a target. She was a player in this game as well as the rest of the boys.

Amily tried to think of a plan that would keep her in the game. Walking in on Peter's arm, she had noticed a thick copse of trees not more than a kilometre from the camp that would make a perfect hiding place... but it could also make the perfect hiding place for someone else.

But deep down inside Amily hoped there was someone there. She was hungry for the action and it was as if everything that had happened up until now had turned into some sort of sleeping beast inside of Amily and it ached to be awakened, no matter what.

She had no idea. Amily had no idea of who was following her. Pan made no sound because he wasn't actually on the ground. Curiosity had kept him from properly playing so he decided he'd check on his newest player and how she was doing.

Pan knew exactly where she was headed. It was a popular place for new lost boys on the island and in the game it was known as 'Ally Corner'. The thick copse of trees had gained it's name because of the many battles that had ended in alliances formed. Even in a game it was a legendary place, a place of initiation. And Amily was headed straight for it.

Pan decided it was time for some action. He didn't have to fly very far to see that the other person heading towards Ally Corner was Felix.

So Felix was to be the first person to battle Amily? She was in for a treat, Felix has had his fair share of fights. But that is how how it's done. She'll come out alive, probably, with just a few cuts and scrapes. That's if she could manage him on her own.

Felix was closer to the cluster of trees than she was so when Amily got there, if she played her cards right, she'd have the element of surprise. Felix was probably anticipating a fight but wther he was expecting it to come from a girl, Pan didn't know.

The board was set and the game was finally beginnning.

Amily could see him. Felix. Not twelve paces in front of her. Slung over his shoulder was a heavy wooden club. Amily knew that in her hands she wouldn't be able to hold it but Felix held it as casually as a bird on his shoulder.

He looked like he was waiting for something. Her heart was in her mouth and she was worried that Felix might just be able to hear it if she approached. A part of her wanted to back off right now and go find another hiding place before making her way back to camp. But then a bigger part of her told that other part to be quiet. There was no way Amily would be able to avoid combat in this game, that was the point of it. Pan wanted fighting, he's going to have it.

Quickly she slipped the dagger from her belt and grasped it tightly. Felix had left himself open from the behind and Amily could see a path that would make it especially easy to just sneak behind him and threaten the dagger at his throat. She nodded to herself.

That hunger for something to happen to her was roaring inside of Amily now. Her heart rate sped up and her palms started to sweat making it difficult to hold the dagger steady. Tightening her grip on it she marched forward, surprising herself and any people who just happened to be watching with her quiet footsteps and steath.

_*snap*_

Just a few steps away from her target a twig broke beneath Amily's feet. An alarm might has well have been alerting anyone to her prescence. Felix whirled around but saw no one there. His stalker had hidden herself well behind the same tree that he in fact stood in front of. He looked both ways before regaining his composure, if not a bit more wary this time.

Amily held the dagger to her chest, it was now or never.

Taking in one last breath and feeling all the emotion come up at once, she pounced from behind the tree. Twisting with speed that shocked her she locked the dagger against Felix's neck and forced him backwards against her with her other hand on his chest. With new-found strength she forced his club out of his hands.

Felix was at least a foot taller than she was but with surprise on her side, he buckled, his back bent against her chest. He froze and laughed, a deep chuckle from within his throat. Felix raised his chin and grinned. Amily wondered if he could've been impressed.

"Well done" he said and she tightened her grip, anticipating some sort of threat or mockery. "There's just one thing you're forgetting" in one quick movement Felix flicked the dagger from her grip with one arm and elbowed her in the stomach with the other. His head surged upwards and hit her in the lip and she tasted dirty hair and blood. The warm, sticky fluid dripped down her chin. She was winded and her hands weaponless. She fumbled for her sword and looked over at Felix who was standing proudly in front of her.

"When you go immobilise an opponent, never leave their hands free" he waved her dagger in front of her mockingly and she pulled her long-sword free of it's sheath, ready for a fight.

"Ready when you are" he said, his eyes alight with the same cruel glint.

Amily struck first but Felix blocked it easily, flicking her sword to the side. She realised that this sword was not used for random slashes, it was long for a reason. It's length was a primary tool in defence as well as disarming an opponent. Felix would have to come closer to get in behind the long-sword, if she used it properly that is.

As if on cue, Felix moved in and swung his club. She dodged just in time and Felix's club collided with air. He looked over at her, angry now. Her eyes were widened but not in fear, in exhilaration. She raised her eyebrows, egging him on.

With a cry he lunged forward and the fight was on. Amily used the sword's sheer size and lightness as a defensive strategy. Almost every move he made was easily blocked as long as she kept the sword almost horizontal across her body. She twirled and dove and Felix almost couldn't touch her. Though at times she faltered, getting caught up in it all. Felix slashed at her and left 6-inch cut along her forearm. Amily winced but made no sound.

She was caught in the high of battle and felt numb. The sight of the cut was enough to make her dizzy but she felt no pain. There was no time for it.

Crazed with adrenaline she awaited Felix's next move. As suspected he lunged forward, straight for her chest. Once again she dodged, this time with a plan in mind. Amily whirled holding the sword high above her head with two hands. Felix's arm was outstretched and his club was ready to bruise and break. With a yell to match any battle cry Amily brought the sword down smashing the club out of Felix's hand.

Felix looked at her in shock and defeat as Amily pointed her long-sword at his chest and raised it so the tip grazed the flesh at the base of Felix's neck. He raised his hands in surrender but his face was amused.

Amily was shocked at the energy that had built up inside of her. She was so driven by battle that she ached to keep fighting. She wondered what Pan would think of her and whether or not he'd be impressed.

As if some how brought into being through thought she felt someone behind her and knew from the way he was standing shockingly close to her that it was Pan himself. She felt his breath on her neck and stifled a shiver. Amily felt him lean bin close to whisper in her ear.

"Exceptionally well done" she could practically feel him grinning evilly in her ear. "You know what you want to do, what you need to do"

She knew exactly what he was insinuating and surprised herself at how much she desperately wanted to hurt this boy in front of her. It was as if she was facing everything that had pushed her down get entire life. Everything that had made her feel weak. Amily was breathing deeply and her hand was shaking. Tears pushed at the back of her eyes but she blinked them away, forcing herself to stay steady.

"Do it Amily" Peter pushed. She realised he was stroking her cheek now, enjoying every moment of the confrontation.

So many thoughts ran through her mind in that moment. For some foreign reason she _wanted_ to hurt Felix and she wanted both him and Pan to see that she was strong and that nobody could mess with her. She wanted to prove that no-one could mess with her and that she wouldn't be pushed down anymore.

But when the time came to push the sword in where it hurt, Amily froze. Did she really want the boys' first impression of her to be a murderer?

Calm and somewhat in control, Amily lowered her long-sword from Felix's chest. Looking around she realized they had attracted an audience. Several lost boys stood around them with entertained expressions but Amily could see fear in their eyes.

Pan stood further away now as if he was kind enough to give her space to make a decision. The look on his face was not one of disappointment. He looked amused yet impressed. There was something else there too and Amily wondered if he knew she wouldn't strike at Felix.

"Game's over boys" said Pan although his tone said he wasn't disappointed.

Amily didn't know she was holding her breath until she finally relaxed her tensed muscles and sighed. All of a sudden she felt hands gently grace her shoulders and massage them slightly.

"Come. Time to celebrate" said Pan, whispering in her ear.

Amily was surprised that the ability to speak still remained within her.

"Ce-" she choked on her words. "Celebrate what? "

Pan chuckled low in this throat.

"You're one of us now. A lost girl"


	7. Chapter 6

Back at the camp, Amily finally had time to breath properly. She had come so close to killing Felix and a part of her was thrilled at the prospect of something wild yet fragile within her. Yet another part of her was scared at what she could become, what this island could turn her into.

Instead of thinking such morbid thoughts Amily focused on the Lost Boys. They danced wildly around the fire and made such ridiculous noises that she wondered why they weren't embarrassed.

"Wait" she thought to herself. "What's there to be embarrassed about? There's no one else around" Amily kept forgetting that this was her home now and that these boys, however strange they were, were now her family.

She never stopped to wonder if there was some possibility she could return home. After she'd had her fun, of course. Was she really going to remain young forever? Surely Pan would know of some way she could at least see her family.

"Something tells me you're not enjoying the celebration"

Pan was standing above her looking down with his fierce green eyes. He looked confused and almost hurt.

"You have a habit of that you know? As soon as I think about you, you turn up" She had this incredulous look on her face but then actually thought about what she had just said.

"Oh-I...I-um..." Amily stuttered. Pan raised one eyebrow.

"Thinking about me? What could you possibly be thinking?" He lowered his chin and looked at her evenly. Amily blushed.

"Nothing you'd actually benefit from" she said curtly but Pan just laughed.

"Why don't you join in?" he asked. Amily looked him amazed at how he could ask such a silly question.

"Because I would look like a fool!" she said as though it was obvious.

"Ah yes, but who could you possibly be foolish in front of?"

_You. _

Amily thought she would say it and reveal everything but instead kept it to herself. She thought for a second and then shook her head. Not as an answer to Pan's question but as a statement to herself.

Why did she always have to think things through enough that soon the very idea became tired? Her whole life was about thought and when she finally began to act she had come home to find her father dead. She was always over-analyzing and evaluating things and her brain had become tired of it. Why couldn't she just let go?

So that's exactly what Amily did.

Getting to her feet, to Pan's surprise, she bounced over and joined the circle of crazed boys. The Lost Boys danced with an energy made up of something Amily hadn't felt in awhile. Freedom. The air was thick with it.

When the boys had noticed that their newest member had joined the circle they hollered excitedly and started to dance faster. The dance wasn't that difficult to follow, you basically make it up as you go along. But Amily knew that this was the first time the Boys had danced with a girl before and they knew that too. Unsure at first then they soon became accustomed to it and it turned into a proper party.

Amily tried not to think of the boys as getting too 'grabby' but they sure wanted to test their new toy. She was spun this way and twirled that way, even lifted. Felix was joining in on the celebration too though he was a little more reserved. He danced for awhile before retreating to the sidelines to watch. Once again he had that same amused yet bitter look in his eyes.

Amily had never felt more alive. There was something about dancing so freely, like she was now, that dominated the senses and made her feel like she was flying. She finally felt like she had a place to belong.

The events of today put behind her, Amily had no other direction to go but forward. This was her new life! Forgetting about her old life and the pain it caused her, Amily finally started living.


	8. Chapter 7

Amily, at first, slept peacefully that night. She didn't dream of home or her father. She dreamt of clouds and wind, flying high above Neverland with nothing but sky ahead. It was wonderful. And then suddenly there was a prescence next to her. Pan was flying beside her now and even in the dream Amily felt nervous. He smiled with that warm intense smile and lush green eyes and even in the dream the butterflies in her stomach fluttered wildly.

Dream-Amily tore her gaze away from the boy's and looked down only to find that the scene had changed. Instead of looking at the beautiful island that was Neverland she gazed down at her little old village. Amily frowned, she did not want to be there. Even in a dream.

She looked over at Pan and gone was that charming debonair smile. In its place was a cruel grin, one filled with malevolence and hate. Then, and Amily didn't know how it was possible, the dream got even stranger.

"The question is, what do you want? "

Pan's mouth formed the words but the shadow's voice came out.

Amily screamed as her little village below her was engulfed in flame and Pan's crooning voice was all she could hear.

"Amily, Amily, Amily..." he repeated her name over and over and, partially awake now, she shook herself violently to be rid of the dream.

"Amily. Amily, wake up."

Someone was shaking her shoulder now, not roughly, but firmly enough to force her upright in shock.

Peter Pan was kneeling next to her...bed? She recalled dancing in front of the fire with the Boys, laughing, hollering and cheering but she had no recollection of being tucked in.

She didn't remember where she had fallen but somehow Amily had ended up in a bed. She looked around in confusion and felt slightly afraid for some unknown reason.

"I carried you here" said Pan as though it was obvious.

"Carried me? From where?"

"After dancing like you did last night," he raised his eyebrows once, playfully before continuing. "You sat down on a log next to the fire and feel asleep."

"I-I ha-I had a bad dream" Amily sputtered, the effects of the dream still lingering.

"I know. I went on a morning hunt with the Boys and we heard you screaming"

"Wha-where am I?" she almost screamed the question.

Pan looked bored yet Amily could've detected the slightest hint of concern in his eyes. Perhaps she was imagining it. But either way she was touched.

"Get up. We're going to hunt and you're coming" there was no arguing with that. Amily shot out of bed and realised that her loose clothes from the day before had vanished only to be replaced back to her old, drab night-gown.

"Don't worry you just need practice" Amily assumed he was referring to the ability to make her clothes stay for longer. She prayed she'd get better at that. She couldn't have her clothes disappearing mid-hunt.

Quickly she wished for some hunt-ready clothes and, getting exactly what she wanted, she had enough time to really look at where Pan had taken her. It could've been a regular hut if not so far off the ground. From inside the room she could see the canopy of the jungle. The inside of the room was quite bare. There was a simple bed, a chest of drawers and a mirror. Amily supposed that if she wanted to add more things to it she only had to wish them up. Outside the room was a balcony that had a simple woven cane chair and a ladder that led down to the jungle floor.

"Amily we are leaving in 30 seconds. Hurry up" said Pan's voice from the bottom of the ladder.

Amily quickly looked down at herself to check that she was suitably dressed and ran towards the ladder. Looking down, she noticed the Lost Boys staring back up at her from the ground but Pan was no where to be seen. She gave them a confused look and started to make her way down the ladder, looking around as she went for the Lost Boys' leader.

"What you looking for?" said a voice from behind her. Behind her? Couldn't be... she was 20 feet high up on this ladder.

Adjusting her footing slowly she turned around to see Peter Pan floating easily in the air with his arms crossed. He had an amused smirk on his face and rolled his eyes when he noticed Amily's widened ones.

"How are you doing that?" she asked breathlessly.

"Didn't I tell you? On Neverland anything is possible" Pan floated around, showing off, before settling on the ground next to his brothers. Amily made her way quickly down the ladder, eager for what this hunt had in store for her.

"It's time you learned to shoot. It's a skill every Lost Boy... or girl... needs to develop" Pan said this as he handed her bow and a quiver filled with arrows.

Amily was nervous. Close-up combat was one thing, but shooting something was in a completely different league. She examined the bow and grimaced already knowing that shooting was going to be a problem. Even at the simple sports Amily would play back at the village her aim was terrible.

"Look I already know that I'm going to be useless at hunting so maybe I could learn something else instead. Like how to trap things?"

Pan was crouching on the ground nearby with Felix now, discussing something in low voices. Without looking at her he said,

"You need to learn to shoot. No discussion" and that was all. There was not another word said on the matter.

Amily tested the bow in her hands to see how it felt. It fit nicely but she wasn't sure how nice things would go once it actually had an arrow nocked. Sighing, she slung it across her back and walked over to Pan and Felix.

"What exactly are we hunting anyway?" asked Amily. Both boys ignored her.

"Pan... do you think it's really him?" said Felix with a look of doubt on his face.

"Oh there's no doubting it. I've had a feeling he would show up for a awhile now and this proves it. I trust neither you nor the boys or our new guest" He looked up at Amily and smiled politely before finishing "could've been sneaking rum onto the island" Pan kicked something with his boot and Amily was shocked to find it was an empty, glass bottle.

"What does this mean?" she asked, wondering who could have possibly left a bottle on the ground this close to the tree-house she had slept in.

Pan grinned from ear to ear like he had just recieved some exciting news.

"Pirates"


	9. Chapter 8

Whilst trudging towards the beach where Amily came in with the shadow, she was lucky enough to walk up front with Pan and Felix and listen to their conversation. She was sure that they knew she was eavesdropping but they made no move to stop her listening.

"Why do you think he came back so soon?" asked Felix. The concern gone from his voice replaced cool amusement.

"No clue. But he must be desperate to come back so soon" Pan hadn't stopped grinning since he had concluded that pirates were on the island. Amily wasn't sure of that grin, it brought out the mischievous boy in him and that scared her.

"Who is he? Who are we talking about?" she asked, sick of being kept in the dark.

"Oh no-one you need to worry about. Just a certain one-handed pirate with a drinking problem"

Amily was confused at that but let it go. If he was in fact one-handed and drunk all the time then what kind of threat could he be to this island? She didn't want anyone ruining her chance at a new home.

Once they reached the bushy part before the beach, Pan turned to her and the rest of the Lost Boys.

"Nothing to worry about here, lads... and Amily" Pan bent his head in acknowledgement at her and both Amily and the Boys chuckled. "Hook and I go way back. You could say that we're business partners"

Amily didn't want to know what 'business' went on between him and some drunken pirate. Pan turned his attention directly to Amily.

"Once we reach the beach, I'll need you to stay there with the rest of the boys while Felix and I board the ship" She supposed she should've seen this coming but was nonetheless disappointed. She tried to argue but the expression on Pan's face said to not bother.

"Don't worry, it's just good business" he smiled before continuing on with Felix. Amily had no choice but to follow.

Oh yes, his new game was going nicely. Pan had time to think about his actions on the trip from the beach to the ship. He could see the Amily settling down on this beach with his boys and almost had to stifle a fit of hysterical laughter. Things were going perfectly. Amily was adjusting just right to the lifestyle and things in Neverland were exciting again!

Pan wondered how long it would be before she wanted to go home again or even if she wanted to go home. Even if she stayed forever it wouldn't be enough. Pan was having too much fun. But he also liked action. So for the entire trip he thought about ways he could sweeten the game, bring it to the next level.

Once at the ship the crew didn't argue as Pan insisted that Felix and himself needed to board to speak with the captain. He was welcomed like the nobility they assumed he was. Pan was the closest thing to a king they had in Neverland.

"Gentlemen, I require an audience with your captain" he said politely.

A crew member wearing a bright red beanie stepped forward. He looked calm yet defensive as though wary about both boys. Though being broad-shouldered the man was plump and looked like he had seen few too winters. Pan knew that if things came to a fight, this crewman would not be a problem.

"What's your business here, boy?" he asked.

"Thats for me to know and you to find out" Pan was toying with the man. His face turning as red as his beanie, he nodded uneasily before gesturing to the boys to follow him.

Pan and Felix were led below decks and down a short hallway before the man with the red beanie stopped before a wooden door carved with the initials 'K.J'. He knocked on the door twice and, upon a hearing a rough "Come in", opened the door to lead the boys to the Captain's Quarters.

This part of the ship looked completely different from the rest. This room was furnished to perfection and represented it's captain's status perfectly. A table was laden with gold cutlery and brass goblets. Each shelf and chair was polished wood which gave the room a touch of elegance.

Most of the walls were decorated with maps of different realms and pictures depicting sailor's tales of wrecks, monsters and ghost ships. But the wall behind the captain's desk had no pictures or maps. Instead, on it hung a portrait of a woman's face and shoulders. It hung there from a flimsy nail as if whoever had hung it was in a hurry. The woman in the portrait was very pretty in a simple sort of way and her hair flowed down to her shoulders in graceful waves.

And there at the desk sat the captain himself. Pan could recognise the smell of rum and leather from miles away and laughed as he noticed his old friend bent over some paperwork. Hook didn't look up as the boys approached.

"Back so soon, Killian?" Pan asked. Hook's head snapped to attention and he stood up from his desk.

Killian Jones was a very attractive man, handsome and confident in his appearance. Pan supposed the woman on the wall behind the desk was one of the captain's many love affairs. But what confused him was that she wasn't here with him now.

Dressed in all leather, Hook might've looked intimidating to some, but Pan could just see through the tough exterior, the broken man beneath. He eyed the hook that stood in place of Killian's left hand but didn't feel afraid.

"Pan. What can I do for you?" Hook forced a fake smile and looked at both boys individually. His brow furrowed when he reached Felix and his club.

"You brought a friend? Anyone would think you didn't trust me" said Hook playfully. Pan looked over at Felix and muttered:

"Wait outside" Felix looked like he was going to argue but didn't. He gave Hook one last scowl before retreating back out the door, club slung over his shoulder.

"Smee!" Hook yelled. Pan forgot about man with the red beanie altogether. He scurried forward to await his master's orders.

"See to it that the boy is fed. Get him some rum while you're at it" Hook nodded towards the door and Smee hesistated before scurrying back out into the hallway.

"Please" Hook gestured to the one seat that sat across from his desk and Pan sat.

"So how have you been?"

"You can drop the act now, boy. I know you're not here for some cosy catch-up" said Hook. Pan smiled and rolled his eyes. The smile was gone from Hook's face as he sat back in his chair, booted feet on his desk.

"I trust you found what I sent you for?" Pan asked, pleasantries aside.

"It was no easy feat, I can tell you. The witch was not very happy to part with it" Hook shuffled in one of the drawers in his desk before revealing a scroll tied with twine

"I knew you could manage it" Pan said, as his partner passed him the scroll. Hook made a face as if he remembered something.

"I've been meaning to ask... A girl? Not really your style is it Pan?" Hook grinned. Pan thought about this for a moment not bothering to ask how Hook knew about Amily.

"It's my new game. An experiment" He nodded to himself and Hook sneered. Deciding everything was setlled, Pan got up to leave. Hook held up his one hand to stop him.

"Ahem...payment? I don't offer robberies from witches for free" said the pirate. Pan scoffed.

"You remember what we discussed?" said Pan.

"Aye, and I need it now" Hook was getting desperate now, Pan could hear it in his voice.

Pan smirked and rolled his eyes. He felt around in his pocket for the trinket.

"Now who's being untrustworthy?" he said as he pulled the small shell out of his pocket.

Barely larger than whistle, Hook was surprised at how simple it looked. Just like an ordinary shell. But if it could do as Pan said then he'd take it. Hastily he reached out and plucked the shell from Pan's hand and grasped it tightly.

"How does it work?" asked Hook. Pan turned serious, all business.

"You must be next to the person for it to work. When you are, blow through it and they should come back"

"Does it matter how long they've been dead?" Hook's voice shook.

"Something tells me this isn't just some collectable trinket for trading?" said Pan, entertained. It was exciting to see the emotional man underneath the pirate. It made Killian look weak.

"I don't need to tell you anything" Hook's eyes flashed murderously and Pan raised his eyebrows.

Everything taken care of, Pan strode across the room to the door to leave. But before he did, he turned to look at Hook.

"She's pretty. I can see why you like her. You've always liked stolen things" Pan was staring at the picture behind the desk.

Hook was shocked at how Pan could possibly know Milah wasn't his to begin with. When he went to ask, Pan was gone. The doorway looked as if no one had been there to begin with.


	10. Chapter 9

When one of the lost boys, Amily supposed his name was George, sighted Pan's row boat coming back to the shore she couldn't help but be relieved. She wasn't sure how safe walking straight onto a pirate ship would be even if you were Peter Pan. But when he set foot on the sand Pan seemed perfectly fine if not better. There was a spring in his step that Amily had not noticed earlier and a lightness to his voice, even when giving orders.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked on the walk back.

"Pirates always put me in a good mood." Amily didn't want to know why that was.

"So, can I ask why you walked straight onto a pirate ship? Was there a motive there or did you just fancy paying a visit to some thieving criminals?" Amily didn't know why she was being this abrupt with Pan, they were talking like they were old friends themselves.

"There was just something I needed to take care of" Pan said this sharply and the look on his face told her that that was all he was sharing on the matter.

They were walking behind the lost boys now and the ceasing in conversation made her move her attention from Pan to his 'brothers'. They all looked so happy and Amily knew this was what freedom looked like. They were free to do whatever they wanted and they had a wonderful leader to guide them. She had been here for about a day now and already she looked up to Pan as a leader. He was the symbol of freedom and rebellion and Amily felt drawn.

"Pan..." she put her hand on his arm and he stopped looking down at as if it was poisonous. Then he looked up at her, confused. She gulped.

"Thank you. For- for taking me away" her heart was beating loudly and Amily lowered her hand slowly.

"I didn't. You came here by choice" his voice was empty and his face expressionless.

She supposed this was true but that didn't change how she felt.

"But if you hadn't come to me in my dreams I never would've known..." she was whispering now and wasn't looking at Pan but knew he was looking at her.

"Amily. Look at me" It wasn't a question but an order. She did as she was told, afraid. But instead of finding disgust at her pitiful attempt at intimacy, he just looked well, normal.

"You were born for adventure and you belong here. This is your home now" He didn't say it gently or with any emotion and Amily was shocked at how true the words were as they sunk in.

Neverland really was her home now and for the first time since she got there Amily didn't miss her old life at all.


	11. Chapter 10

Amily was picked for hunting for dinner that night. A little nervous about shooting a living thing for the first time, she walked over to Pan for advice.

"Why don't we just 'wish up' our food?" she asked.

"Because that's no fun" well there's no arguing with that.

Amily had a few hours to kill before the hunting party left so she decided to get in some target practice in the shooting range away from the camp. It mostly consisted of straw targets and wooden dummies, but she needed all the practice that she could get.

Throughout the walk Amily decided to get some serious thought done on her current predicament. She knew she could never really let go of that part of her that over-thought anything. Just as much as she knew how she felt about a certain boy.

For days on end Pan haunted her dreams with that same charming smile and playful glint in his eyes. Thankfully, there was no burning villages or creepy voices in these dreams. Just the giddy feeling that followed. There was no denying it, she had fallen bad.

What would her mother say? Saying that she loved a boy she had just met less than two days ago! But, she supposed Pan was different. He _had _shown up in her dreams and directed her to this magical place. He was alluring and charismatic. And Amily couldn't help but love that dangerous side that he had, full of boyish mischief.

She giggled to herself as she imagined him holding her. Amily would happily die if those deep green eyes were the last thing she saw.

Reaching the shooting range she felt light. Neverland and Pan had the power to do that to her and she almost didn't doubt herself when it came to shooting. But when Amily noticed how uncoordinated she was when it came to nocking an arrow, that feeling faded.

She let the arrow fly and watched as it barely skimmed the edge of the target.

"Damn" Ma would swat her if she was caught using such language but with the next arrow she shot the thought vanished.

Amily loosed arrow after arrow but wasn't really paying attention. Her thoughts were running rampant. What would her family be doing right now? Had they given up searching or come to the conclusion that she had in fact run away? She thought about the earnest girl buying strawberries at the market for a father that she had already lost when he didn't get out of bed. For some foreign reason, the thought angered her yet amused her at the same time. That girl was gone, dead. In the short space of two days Amily had discovered who she really was.

With new-found fire she aggresively loosed another arrow. It was closer to the bullseye this time but not nearly as close as she wanted. If the target were an animal it'd be long gone by now.

"Would you like some help?" Amily whirled to find Pan leaning on a tree towards the edges of the shooting range. His arms were crossed.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked curiosly.

"I've watched you shoot the last two arrows and noticed you might need some pointers" she looked over at the target for the last two arrows shot. She definitely could use some help. Amily nodded.

Pan stode over to her confidentally and she felt nervous. The last time the two of them had been together Amily's attempt at intimacy had failed miserably. Her cheeks felt hot and she was sure Pan noticed.

"First, you're standing wrong" he pointed to her feet which were right next to each other. Pan put his hands on Amily's shoulders and pushed.

"Relax everything. Breathe deeply" he ordered and she did.

"Now, move your feet so that they're as far apart as your shoulders" Amily did as told and turned to face the target.

She felt positive about Pan's advice and confident about the next shot...until Pan put his arms around her. Amily hoped that Pan wouldn't hear her give a little gasp. She could feel him breathe deeply against her.

"Hold your bow tightly with this hand" with one hand he directed her left hand to the handle and kept his on top of hers. It was surprisingly warm. Pan held her hand there firmly. His right hand was at her waist and Amily's heart was pounding.

"Nock your arrow" his voice was barely a whisper in her ear.

Trying to control her shaking hands and failing, Amily did so all with Pan's hand still at her waist and breath on her neck.

"Pull your drawstring back all while taking a deep breath" As she did, Pan took one too. Their torsos rose together. She held the bow steady, aiming for the bullseye.

"After you've shot, your hand should be near your ear" Pan took his hand from her waist and tucked an auburn lock behind her ear. Amily stifled a shiver.

"Release" it all happened in an instant but to Amily, time slowed. The arrow hit home and the breath that she had held the whole time escaped her. What an excellent feeling that followed! It was overwhelming.

"Oh! That felt wonderful!"she exclaimed and heard Pan chuckle.

Driven by excitement Amily slung her bow over her shoulder and jumped into Pan's arms. She could feel his hesitation but slowly he returned her embrace. She knew what she was doing was silly and out of character but she felt safe in Pan's arms. There was the oddest sense of security and she hugged him tighter.

"Thank you" she whispered. She broke the hug to look in Pan's eyes.

Amily wondered when the last time was when he had kissed a girl or had even been this close to one because he had the strangest look on his face, as if he was wondering why she had hugged him in the first place. She knew that then was the perfect moment. Her arms were wound around his neck and his hands were at her sides holding her gently but carefully. Amily could melt in his green-eyed gaze and knew that if she just leant in a bit further...

"We should go" Pan's mouth formed the words before Amily heard them.

There it was. The shove-off and it hit her hard. The quickly withdrew her hands and held her elbows. To anyone is would've looked like she was cold. What she really was, was embarassed.

"Right... okay then" Amily looked at the ground and closed her eyes. She would not cry, she couldn't!

She didn't know if it was her imagination when she felt a hand pull hers away from her elbow and interlace their fingers.

Amily looked up surprised and her heart gave a little jolt when she noticed that look of playful charm that Pan wore that she loved so much. Her hopes flew. Maybe all was not lost when it came to her and this Lost Boy.

"Come on. They don't need you in the hunting party. That was my idea anyway. Tonight you join me for a little surprise"

Amily grinned from ear to ear.

Nobody looked even suspicious as Amily returned on Pan's arm. It was almost like when she first arrived but only she knew how this moment was different. And she would never share why... not with anyone.

"Wait for me at your treehouse. Do you remember the way?" she struggled to speak as Pan looked down at her with that intense gaze. She mustered a nod.

Amily began to walk back but before she reached the outskirts of the camp she turned to get one last look at Pan. He was whispering something in Felix's ear and Amily couldn't help but be suspicious. But when both boys laughed like the brothers they were, she forgot about it. Pan was probably just getting someone to cover her shift on the hunt. She turned back to continue walking to the treehouse.

Thoughts of wishing up some better clothes for the evening plagued her and Amily reached the treehouse quicker than she expected.

She paced the room anxious about what this night could mean. Had she ever felt this way about someone before? Sure, there were boys back in her village but none of them had come even close to being as special as Pan was to her. In her mind, he really was the symbol of freedom.

Amily thought about what the night would involve and whether she should change clothes. If they were hiking she could stay as she was. But what if they were doing something else? Well, what else was there to do? All the questions made Amily's head ache. In her mind she thought up the perfect outfit. Knee-high boots, leather pants, brown belt and a loose white shirt.

Looking at herself in the mirror she could tell that this ensemble was what she imagined a pirate would look like and strangely enough it suited her. The belt made her waist look minuscule and the boots gave her a tough aura like she'd be quicker to pull a punch than a joke.

Minutes turned into hours and she fidgeted them by. She couldn't keep track of how many times she had switched from standing to sitting, from pacing to peering, from hoping to dreading and back again. But she didn't need to hear the creak of a ladder or the crunch of bark under foot to know that Pan was on the balcony. She just knew.

"Ready?" he asked before she could turn around.

"Where are we going?" Amily asked, eyeing him levelly.

"I told you, it's a surprise" Pan's eyebrow twitched as if he was challenging her. Amily walked confidently out onto the balcony.

With ease Pan floated into the air and hovered over the balcony railing to stare down at her.

"Go on. Climb up" it wasn't an order but a dare.

Amily didn't know what he wanted to do once she was on top of the railing but she would soon find out. Hauling herself up and onto it she stood up shakily and didn't dare look down.

"Very good. I didn't think you could do it" Pan was pushing her now, practically taunting her into doing something cowardly.

"Well I'm up here. Now what?" Amily hoped her nerves came across as cockiness.

"Jump" he said the word so plainly like he was ordering her to do something normal like speak or walk.

"You're insane" she said and knew how gutless she sounded. But there was no way she was going to jump from this height. She'd sink to the jungle floor faster than a rock in a pool.

Pan's voice turned sharp as though filled with adrenaline.

"Sanity is for the weak, Amily"

"Yes, that's what an insane person would say" she _was_ aware that they were having an outrageous argument 30 feet off the ground but nothing would make her jump off this ledge. Nothing at all.

"Come on, I promise nothing bad will happen to you. Come on" He held out his hand for her to take and Amily grasped it tightly, mostly needing it for balance.

She dared a quick look at the ground and then at Pan. His face was a fierce wonder and Amily knew right then and there that this was the boy for her. A boy worth jumping for.

And that's exactly what she did.


	12. Chapter 11

Everything was silent as Amily was sure that she was plummeting to the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut ready for impact but after awhile nothing came.

"Amily, open your eyes" she heard Pan's voice say gently.

Slowly but surely she did and nothing prepared her for what she saw.

And what she saw, was everything. From this height, Amily could see the whole island! The beaches and the jungle, the smoke billowing from the camp's fire. It was breathtaking and she was indeed breathless. This was the stuff of dreams.

"How- how am I..." Amily struggled to get the words out. Everything was so wonderful.

"I have my ways" Pan held up a small vial of a powdery substance.

"But mostly, this island is full of surprises" he said and handed her the vial.

"Pixie dust" was all he said as she examined it. It certainly didn't look magical but, being this far off the ground, Amily would believe anything was possible.

"Let's fly!" Pan shouted gleefully and did a backflip. Amily laughed hysterically, aching to try it.

Flying was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It took effort to propel herself through the air yet it also seemed like the wind carried her like a leaf. She didn't need to move any body parts to make herself move, Amily just needed to push.

The wind whipped her hair and caressed her body, inflating her clothes. She had never felt more weightless, it was spectacular.

They both soared and cheered and Amily almost forgot where she was and who she was with. The moon hung in the sky over head and lit up the night making everything all the more enchanting. Amily had noticed that the moon looked bigger in Neverland. Like a giant, luminous disk in the sky.

"Amily!" Pan got her attention and pointed to someplace in the distance. Looking over she discovered that what Pan was pointing at was a cliff-top. Even from far away, Amily could tell that it was candle-lit. She was surprised at this romantic side of Pan that she was sure no one had ever seen before.

When they arrived, Amily's landing was pathetic. She stumbled twice before Pan finally had to land gracefully to stop her from falling.

Things began to turn awkward as both Amily and Pan sat atop the cliff with their feet dangling off the edge with nothing to talk about. Amily thought up possible ways of starting a conversation but they all seemed as pathetic as she felt. She sat there sighing and looked away. She was startled when Pan kicked things off.

"So tell me about yourself" This was something she desperately wanted to avoid. As far as people went Amily was nothing special.

"What do you want to know?" she asked shyly.

"Oh I don't know... what's your favorite color?" Pan said. Amily still wasn't looking at him yet she could feel his gaze. She thought for a moment before answering.

"Green" _like your eyes. _She didn't dare say it but desperately wanted to.

This time she looked up and Pan was staring intently at her. There was nothing dangerous in his gaze though it wasn't gentle. There was silence between them for a few seconds, long enough to make things weird. Amily cleared her throat.

"What about you? What's your favorite color?" she asked.

"Blue" She tried not to be excited that this was the color of her eyes. It was also the color of the sky and sea, two things that Pan could have whenever he wanted.

They sat there again not speaking, both thinking of something to say.

"Why did you come here?" Amily asked. The question had been nagging at her and she was glad that she had finally found the time to ask it.

Pan slouched back, making himself comfortable for telling a story. He knew that this would be totally improvised. A complete lie.

"I awoke one day and mother was gone. Ran away from my father's gambling problem, I suppose" He laughed a bitter coarse laugh with no humor behind it. To Amily it seemed as though the story was painful to tell. Of course, that was completely untrue.

"My father and I moved away to a new village but his debt caught up with him. When things looked like they would get ugly, he sent me to go play with some street kids. When I returned, he had a dagger in his chest" Amily couldn't identify the expression on Pan's face. He stared straight ahead into the sky, not looking at her.

Her heart gave a little throb. So he too came from a broken family. They could be broken together.

"Peter..." she lightly put her hand over his and he looked at her with an almost crazed look. Nobody called him that anymore. Amily was nervous but not afraid.

Pan pulled her onto him forcefully and laid back. She was above him now and the moon contrasted with her auburn locks, like a halo. Amily was aware that she was straddling his hips and cursed herself for not being more coordinated when it came to these situations. She had no idea what to do now except stare into Pan's lush green eyes. She felt trapped, but in a good way.

Pan seemed to know what to do though. With brutal strength he locked a hand behind her neck and bought Amily's face crashing down on his, smashing their lips together passionately.

He seemed urgent to get all the emotion into the kiss but that was okay, Amily was in no hurry to stop.

The wildness in both their hearts came out and so did all the mixed feelings that Amily had kept bottled up. The kiss turned hot and wet and Amily realized she was crying. But not for the reason that Pan would expect. She was happy because this was how her life was meant to be lived. Wild and passionate and free.

Amily deepened the kiss, opening Pan's mouth beneath hers. Feeling bold, she tangled her hands in his soft brown hair. The smell of him was all around her. Wood, like the jungle as well as nettles and pine needles.

Pan's hands held her waist tightly and pulled her against him. Amily found that she was mentally asking herself how far she wanted to take this. Pan was all she wanted but she had never done this kind of thing before.

So they just kissed. For what seemed like hours. Pan held her waist and at times it seemed like he wanted to go further. But he didn't. Amily got tingles as he ventured beneath her loose white blouse but that was as far as went. He traced patterns around her navel and she savoured the feel of it.

When their kisses had changed to short sweet pecks Amily stopped to breathe. Her forehead was against Pan's and they were both breathing deeply. She kissed his forehead before rolling over to lie on his chest. Amily could hear his heart beating fiercely in his chest.

"Pan, was that your first kiss?" she joked.

"We don't get girls very often on the island" Amily laughed, knowing that she was the first.

Pan had no choice but join in laughing and Amily delighted in the feel of it beneath her. Little did she know, Pan was laughing for a completely different reason.


	13. Chapter 12

Two weeks have passed since Amily came to Neverland and life has never been better. She can shoot an arrow with accuracy and has caught game for dinner multiple times. The Lost Boys have accepted her and Amily regards them as her brothers now. She holds close the times when her and the boys played ball on the beach or went swimming in the lagoon. Even Felix has warmed up to her.

Amily had stopped caring about things she did in the past. Hygiene and looking pretty no longer mattered to her and she was not afraid to bathe with the other boys. They didn't care either. She was one of them now. Looking back, she noticed sometimes how radically her life had changed.

Pan refused Amily's plea to tell the Lost Boys about their dalliance. She didn't know why. She supposed it could make Pan look weak. But Amily didn't care. Pan was hers.

So they kept things quiet. The occasional stare across the camp fire of visit to each other's tent never got old and Amily was happy. Happier than she had been her whole life.

Or at least that's what she told herself. Whatever it was between her and Pan was lovely and passionate. But it wasn't the romance Amily thought she would one day have. She didn't want to sound whiny and ungrateful. When it came to boys, Peter Pan was the greatest. But there was just something missing.

Silence fell over the jungle as Amily and 2 other Lost Boys, their names Charlie and Aaron, crept silently through the fog-filled evening. They had tracked a wild boar down this way and the hunt had made Amily's heart beat. It was such a rush being a predator. This boar didn't know what's coming.

"The tracks stop here. We must be close" she heard Charlie whisper.

Aaron was ahead of them. He was older than both Charlie and Amily and had decided that it was his job to lead them. Amily figured he knew nothing about tracking but he knew a lot about being a moron. Aaron peeked around a tree and held up a hand to shush Charlie. Amily rolled her eyes. She marched straight up to Aaron and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What could you possibly be looking for? The tracks lead East. That's that way!" Amily pointed left of the path they had just come. The exact opposite direction Aaron was looking.

"Shut it, Lost Girl" said Aaron in his caveman of a voice. "I hear something over there by the creek"

Amily listened and heard something too. It couldn't be the boar they were tracking, the footprints lead no where near the creek. This sound was different. Amily listened harder and heard cracking wood as if being snapped or cut and the pinging of something hard against metal.

"What is that?" Amily squinted to make more out of the sound but couldn't quite determine what it was.

"Don't look at me, I'm not finding out!" Aaron looked at her with wide eyes and scurried back the way they had come.

"Coward" Amily muttered under her breath. The suspense was too much. Amily moved forward to look.

At first the scene before her was not alarming. It looked like a normal camp site complete with tents and a circle of stones for a fire when the evening got darker. But then Amily got a close look at it's occupants.

Six or seven men were filling up water canteens or practicing sword-fighting. That wasn't what alarmed Amily. That was the fact that these men were _adults. _Adults in Neverland! Amily hadn't seen an adult in two weeks and immediately felt threatened. The only men she knew to even come close to Neverland were... pirates!

Amily didn't know what to think. This was the first time she had seen pirates up close and they looked just as dangerous as what she'd heard in stories. Pan had said that he had an agreement with the pirates... with their leader. The pirate with a hook instead of a...

As if on cue the captain of the Jolly Roger emerged from his tent. It was larger than the others and closer to the creek. His hook gleamed in the now shining moon.

Hook looked around the camp with a look full of hunger. For vengeance. He looked annoyed as a squat man in a red beanie approached.

"Cap'n, the men are worried about this plan. You know, first-hand, of Pan's trickery. We could be led into a trap at any moment" Amily was surprised by that. They had a right to be afraid of Peter. He could be very dangerous when he wanted to.

Hook flashed a charming smile and rested his hook on the squat man's shoulder. He instantly froze.

"Not to worry Smee. The boy will get what's coming to him. Right lads?" He yelled the latter and Amily noticed him raise a glass bottle, as if in a toast, before taking a swig. Every pirate roared in approval and Smee smiled, satisfied.

But the look in Hook's eyes was not merry or warm. She knew that look. It was the look every Lost Boy as well as herself had before they captured prey. When they were ready to kill.

Amily gasped loudly and every head in the camp turned to where she was hidden in the bushes. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she tensed, before the pirates shrugged it off and resumed what they were doing. Hook remained staring into the bushes long after his crew had given up. Amily didn't stop to check whether he had seen her or not. She turned and ran as fast as she could.

"Wha- what's wrong? Amily!" Charlie emerged from the bushes as Amily ran. He had a sack slung over his shoulder. She paid no notice to the fact that he was the only one that called her by her actual name and stopped for a second to catch her breath.

"Pirates-Hook-camp-Pan!" she panted. Aaron also emerged from the bush at this point and looked at her like she had two heads.

"What are you talking about?" he stared at her, bored. Amily panted.

"Can't-talk. Gotta warn..." She didn't finish what she was saying. Amily just continued running back towards her own camp.

"Oi! Lost Girl! What..." She had no time to know what Aaron would've said.

Once she reached the camp she found Pan within the second of arriving. She threw herself at him and he caught her just in time to be stunned.

"Amily?! What?" he hugged her loosely but Amily didn't care. She just savoured the fact that he was holding her.

"Pan, I..." after running so much like she did, it was even harder to make words. She choked.

"Amily, calm down. What happened?" Pan was scarily calm now, all business.

Amily moved over to sit down on a log. The Boys were beginning to build the fire now and she focused on that while trying to regain her sanity. Pan didn't sit next to Amily but crouched in front of her knees and looked up into her face. She wondered if she'd cry or if Neverland had knocked that out of her.

"Tell me what happened" Pan said seriously.

Amily took a deep breath.

"I saw pirates. Camping. Out there in the jungle. There were... I don't know... maybe seven of them. Hook was there too" She looked at Pan pitifully. He had the oddest expression on his face and Amily was confused.

"Peter. What's going on?" she said, her voice cracking. "I heard Hook say... he sounded like he might hurt you. That can't be, right? You two are close" Amily realized how pathetic she sounded and desperately tried to keep it together. Pan ignored her.

"Felix, get over here" Amily noticed Felix's head snap to attention from the weapons table. He walked over sullenly.

"We have guests" Pan looked at him evenly. Amily wasn't stupid, the two of them were hiding something.

"You knew this would happen?" Felix said. He sounded unconcerned, almost entertained.

"Of course!" The two boys laughed. Normally this would have delighted Amily but it just made her angrier.

"What would happen? Pan, what's going on?!" she sounded hysterical.

Once again Pan ignored her. He may as well have been skipping around the camp. He looked like a child at Christmas.

"Pan, when are we going after them?" asked one Lost Boy. Pan looked down at him fondly.

"Oh don't worry, Arnold. They'll come to us"


	14. Chapter 13

Amily marched away from the camp, never feeling more angry. Pan was completely ignoring her! He hadn't asked any of her questions and he hadn't even told her if the pirates were a threat or not. 'They'll come to us'. Well, what on Earth does that mean?! She huffed and almost ran back to her tree house.

But not before Pan landed just where she was about to step, as if he had been following her.

"What's wrong?" His voice was flat and he didn't sound concerned. Pan sounded bored, like he really didn't care what was the matter.

"Nothing's wrong, Pan. Why ever would you ask?" Amily pushed past him, the sarcasm in her voice was sharp.

"You huffed out of the camp like your arse was on fire. Something's obviously wrong" He followed her now yet Amily sensed he was backing off, giving her space.

"Maybe go ask someone you'd rather talk to" Amily didn't have to say this loudly. Barely whispering it was enough for it to make a mark on Pan's shiny ego.

"Is that what this is about?" He sounded dully surprised and Amily almost laughed at his absurdity. She supposed all boys were like that.

Originally she had intended to run back to her tree house and sulk, hoping Pan would get the message. Now, because of her new found hostility towards all boys on the island, she decided to change course and head to the shooting range. It was just one of those times when the emotion couldn't be let out with just words. Amily just needed to kill something. Even if it wasn't alive to begin with.

Pan continued to follow, not saying anything. Lack of an answer to his last question was his cue to be silent.

Amily felt powerful wiith her bow in her hands and once she reached the shooting range there was nothing stopping her from loosing an arrow, even as she was walking towards it. She let it out with a grunt and loosed another. Arrow after arrow followed and with each one her anger just intensified tenfold. She didn't keep track of how many times she missed or hit the bulls-eye. She just shot. And boy, did it feel good.

Pan watched with sincere curiosity. He couldn't help but think that aggression looked good on this girl.

"Gee Amily, I never knew you could get this angr-"

Suddenly, all fire and rage, Amily turned with her drawstring taught and a bow aimed at Pan's heart.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Without thinking she released the drawstring.

Everything happened in an instant. All anger vanished, time slowed, regret filled her heart and it was like she could watch that arrow fly directly to Pan's heart.

And yet, it stopped. Amily blinked. The arrow stopped in mid-air, not millimetres from Pan's chest! Taking her attention off the arrow she focused on the picture in front of her.

Pan had his head tilted up and was looking down at her. He had the most smug look on his face that Amily had ever seen. In his left hand he held the arrow, still pointed at his chest.

"How'd that feel?" asked Pan. It took Amily a moment to realize he had spoken. Pure shock had enveloped her.

She was aware that her mouth was hanging open and she looked foolish. But there was no helping it. Amily just stared. Pan had _caught _the arrow. Or, more importantly, she had _shot _at him. This boy who had kissed her and held her, she had shot at him!

Amily bent over, the tears escaping her. She held herself to try to keep from shaking. Soon she was on her knees, bent over, and sobbing loudly. She barely noticed Pan come over to kneel down beside her. His face was not concerned and almost looked entertained.

"Shhh..." He stroked her hair and patted her back. Amily turned to hug him and Pan accepted. Eventually they both were lying in the shooting range together, Pan holding his hysterical Lost Girl.

"What is happening to me?" cried Amily and she just sobbed and sobbed into Pan's shirt. Him stroking her hair was oddly comforting but she had no energy to get chills.

"Shhh, it's okay" There was something in his voice, but Amily couldn't put her finger on it.

She lent up to look in Pan's eyes. They were what she needed right now. Their intense greenness was addictive.

But she let go of that image for a second and closed her eyes, leaning in to kiss Pan softly on the lips. He seemed to forget that she had shot at him and kissed her back, even if a little hesitantly. He had stopped stroking her auburn locks and had his hands pressed at her sides, below her breasts.

The time for going further was now and in her grief stricken state that was all she wanted to do. Pan was all she wanted.

She tangled her hands in Pan's soft hair and felt shivers as he moaned beneath her. Amily's hands were fists in his hair and the decision was made when the Lost Boy's hands snuck beneath her loose shirt and traced exquisite patterns around her navel. Amily kissed him sweetly, urging him to keep going.

Pan took things up a notch. This time he was the one who deepened the embrace and their kisses turned hot and wild, almost in desperation. Amily held his face in hers and Pan was moving his hands down her sides to her hips. Was there any going back from this now? When he began tugging at the hem of her blouse Amily stopped.

"Pan... we should stop now" Realizing she needed her mouth to speak, Pan was kissing her neck with sweet short pecks.

"Pan" Amily said his name firmly now. She wasn't asking him to stop, but telling him. She put his hands on his chest and pushed him back gently. This time, Pan looked at her. The look reminded Amily of a child who had gotten his favorite toy taken off him.

"I-I want to. Just not here" Not here on the dirty, cold ground of the shooting range. Especially not after she had shot at Pan and could've killed him.

Pan nodded briskly and Amily stood up from the ground. She offered a hand to help Pan up from the ground. He ignored it.

"Are you angry?" She found it ironic at how, not a few minutes ago, the roles had been reversed.

"No of course not" And yet he said this with that bland, dry voice she had come to know so well. When the Lost Boys weren't fighting at their best this voice came up. When a sentry fell asleep on the job, he used that voice.

Lips still swollen from kissing, they made their way back to the camp in silence.

There was no song that night. No haunting melody from Pan's pipe. Not a sound came from the leader of Lost Boys as he made his way to one of the many tree houses away from the camp. He could have stayed at one of the tents with the other boys, but he didn't even look twice at it as he strutted away. Amily was confused at his sudden need for privacy.

"Look's like Pan's having a tantrum" sniggered Aaron to a boy standing next to him yet everyone could hear him. Amily knew was coming after that. _No-one _dared to speak that way about their leader. She was surprised at Aaron's cruel bluntness.

Pan stopped suddenly and turned. His eyes were daggers, his face murderous. With a push of a hand, Pan's magic forced Aaron against a nearby tree. Aaron gasped and clutched at his throat, the air being choked out of him. Pan held his hand in that position, locking Aaron to the tree. He didn't look like he would give up any time soon.

Everyone just stared, Amily included. Then, minutes later, Pan lowered his hand with a huff. He didn't have to say anything after that. Everyone knew that they shouldn't mess with him. And if they didn't, they certainly knew it now. Aaron looked furious as he got up from the base of the tree. He glared at Pan with the same murderous gaze he had received. Yet Peter Pan had already disappeared into the trees.

Amily thought about what would happen if she took charge. She felt the urge to. But that was obviously Felix's job. Felix knew it too. He marched into the open and looked at every Lost Boy or Girl in the eye.

"Everyone is to leave Pan alone for now. Build a fire. Charlie, George and Jeremy find us something to eat" She looked over at the designated group of boys and tied to smile encouragingly. Charlie was the only one who had the nerve to smile back. Amily guessed that all the boys were pretty spooked.

She looked around for something to do. She could return to the shooting range for more practice but for some reason that was the last place she wanted to be right now. Amily shuffled over to the weapons table to sharpen a sword or fix a bow, anything.

All of a sudden, Felix was beside her.

"Do you know what happened?" So Pan hadn't told him about things between himself and Amily. She decided to keep things cryptic.

"No, why?" What a good start.

"You returned together... you want to tell me what's going on?" Felix didn't speak gently. He sounded cold and condescending. Like an adult.

"There's nothing to tell, Felix. Let it go" Amily returned his tone of condescension, picked a sword at random and walked over to sharpen it.

She felt like she would cry but the tears didn't come. Try as she might to force her concentration into her work, nothing happened. She doubted whether that sword would ever get sharpened at the rate she was going.

Her time at Neverland so far had been wonderful. Could it all turn this sour so quickly? Everything was so mixed up. There were pirates threatening their home and the boy she loved had a hunger that she so deeply tried to satisfy and yet when she couldn't, his temper came out. Pan put passion into their encounters but where was the romance? Why did things have to be the way they were at the shooting range? All desire and passion but there was no love there. What had happened to the fairy-tale Amily had conjured up in her mind? Why did she have to keep things from her brothers?

What was Pan hiding?


	15. Chapter 14

The pirates came two days after the incident with Pan and Aaron. For Amily, those two days were nothing but painful. Just the waiting was pure torture. Indeed she thought that Pan would keep his distance in order to keep them both from getting distracted. In fact, he did just the opposite.

For instance the night after the episode with Aaron and the Lost Boys had retreated to their tents, it was just Pan and Amily in front of the fire.

She tried to avoid his eye contact in case Pan was angry at her but even that proved impossible. Amily could see him thinking and once he stopped he caught her gaze and held it.

"Amily, come here for a second" she did as he asked and was not proud of what happened for the next few minutes.

Occurrences like that were not uncommon. And they happened in places Amily least expected. They hadn't yet gone all the way with their encounters but she was ashamed of how far they did go. Yet she didn't argue. Pan was all she wanted and she didn't know why she was so unhappy.

For two days things went on as normal as they could be. Amily helped out around the camp by collecting firewood, hunting game, sharpening weapons, crafting arrows and satisfying Pan's every need. Whether that was kissing above the trees or holding each other by the fire, Peter Pan was almost desperate.

The night before the pirates came there was an odd feeling of merriment in the air. Amily danced with her brothers and even Pan joined in playing a haunting melody on his pipe. He never took his gaze off of Amily at the time. She couldn't help but adore the tune, that was the way the pipe worked. The melody was as familiar to her as her own soul.

Amily loved the way she was twirled in the boys' arms. It made her feel special, needed. But then, that feeling was never absent when she was with or around Pan.

The way he held her made Amily feel cherished. She loved the fact that they could stay young together yet she couldn't help but Pan sometimes acted like an adult. His tactics showed that he thought like one. Amily wouldn't even admit the amount of times that she had considered how long Pan had been in Neverland. But she didn't care. It was just another thing that she loved about him.

He looked at her so intensely she felt like a woman. A real woman.

So she made a decision. With invasion of the camp practically breathing down their necks, tonight was the perfect night. The could very well be slaughtered in the morning. Amily wanted to take every chance while she could.

So she waited patiently until the Lost Boys went back to their tents and then it was just Pan and her. Amily watched as Pan saw the last Lost Boy, a young one named Trevor, to his tent and sat down solidly on a log in front of the fire. They sat directly opposite each other without speaking.

The opportune moment had arrived.

Slowly Amily stood up and made her way over to Pan. She had worked out her approach perfectly and bit her lip in a way she hoped was seductive. Sighing in mock defeat, she sat down on Pan's lap and wrapped her legs around his waist, her nose inches from his as she looked into addictive green eyes.

"So..."

He raised his eyebrows and smirked, awaiting what Amily had to say.

"We're alone now, what do you think-"she was interrupted by Pan mouth coming down hard on hers taking her breath away.

Pan locked his arms around her tiny waist and pushed him against her. There was nothing sweet about their embrace. Between them, was pure fire. She fisted her hands in his soft hair and Pan moaned beneath her at the sweet pain of it. A strange feeling came upon them both but Amily and Pan were too wrapped up in each other to notice.

Once again, Pan's hands slid beneath her blouse and stroked her back lovingly all while pushing her chest against him. Amily could only touch and retouch Pan's face, hair, neck and shoulders as if discovering them for the first time. Neither of them were quite finished as they broke apart and pressed their foreheads together.

"Amily, look" Pan was looking down towards the ground.

Amily was too busy catching her breath but she was awestruck when she finally did notice. Together her and Pan had floated off the ground and were levitating at least six feet from the floor of the campsite. Her legs were wrapped tightly around Pan's waist so she had no need to hold on. Pan had her held against him and his legs dangled loosely below. Before she spoke she noticed that Pan was no longer looking at the ground and there was a questions in his eyes. One she thought would never see for a while. Amily nodded shyly. She was ready.

They kissed once more but this time the kissed were sweet and long. This was no quick embrace, hidden from everyone else. They could take their time because they had all the time in the world.

Pan took control of the flying and, while kissing Amily at the same time, steered them towards Amily's treehouse. They flew horizontally, with her beneath him, yet their bodies pressed were together like one entity.

Once they arrived at the treehouse, Amily remained in Pan's arms as he carried her onto the balcony and into the cosy interior. Two quick strides and they reached the woven cane bed with it's soft macaw feathered pillows. Gently, Peter Pan laid her down on the bed and lowered himself over Amily.

The woman in her came out and nothing she had ever experienced could compare to what came next. Oh, what sweet feelings that followed.

That morning, the pirates came.


	16. Chapter 15

At first Pan and Amily had no idea that the attack had begun. The woke in the early hours of the morning and just enjoyed each other's presence. Pan stroked Amily's bare back and they both dwelled in that glorious half asleep state.

She tried to think of how she felt in that moment. Did she feel different, more grown up? So many girls in their village had started families young. It was the only thing that they could contribute after marriage. What Amily and her mother had tried to preserve for so long was gone. But she was glad Peter Pan was the one who had taken it. Sighing, she focused on the long and steady stokes Pan made down her back. Amily stifled a shiver.

And then she heard it. She knew Pan had heard it to because at the time her head turned up to hear the noise better, his was already alert, his face concerned.

The sounds were of clanking metal and shouting. Voices unrecognisable but deep. Too deep to be boys. No screams but there were shots from the Lost Boys in retaliation. Pan and Amily couldn't make out the words but it was obviously an argument turned ugly.

Pan almost flew to the ceiling in an attempt to free himself from the tangle of blankets. Amily didn't know why but once he was out and the blankets scuffled, she pulled them quickly around herself, keeping her body hidden from the day.

She watched in confusion as Peter quickly pulled his clothes and boots back on all while the noise from the camp seemed to narrate the rush he was in.

"Peter? What's going on?" Amily was aware of how pathetic she sounded but he paid her no notice. He threw her clothes on the bed and pointed, anger glaring in his eyes. She knew he wasn't angry at her and perhaps it wasn't anger in Pans eyes. His home sounded as though it was in danger, he had perfect reason to be panicked.

"Get dressed" He almost growled the words. "We need to go now, quickly" Amily dressed as fast as she could. So fast, that she didn't remember most of the process once she was done.

Before she was even done straightening herself in the small, carved-wooden mirror Pan had swung her onto his back and was leaping off the balcony and into the sky. Amily wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on tightly.

The sight of the camp from above was so frightening, it could have been one of Amily's nightmares. Pan flew over it first, taking in the scene. The Lost Boys and pirates were deep in combat and Amily was surprised at how well the boys seemed to be managing. Pan then landed thick in the jungle away from the camp. Once they were on the ground Amily was able to get a good look at his face. It was stony and expressionless, his mouth was pulled into a thin line.

"I'll deal with this" She didn't know if he was telling her that or himself.

Peter Pan closed his eyes for a moment, regaining his composure, and then walked into the heat of the battle. There was no order for Amily to stay where she was, so she didn't.

The battles scattered around the camp ceased with Pan's every step further inward. The Lost Boys doubled the pirates numbers so they were forced to fight two, even three, boys at a time. This didn't seem a problem.

The last battle to come to close was that of Hook and Felix's. Felix swung his club with ease, narrowly missing Hook's stubbly jaw. The pirate dodged easily and spun to bash the back of Felix's head with his hilt-holding fist. When Peter approached both fighters stopped.

Felix looked amused and a little relieved. Hook looked murderous. Pan grinned evilly and nodded at Felix to join his brothers. Amily, noticing the crowd of Lost Boys next to Pan, did the same.

"Is there a problem, Hook?" said Pan with mock concern. In an instant, Hook took hold of Pan's collar and pushed him onto a rock that was set at the edge of the camp. Amily could see the sharper edge of it push into Peter's back.

"You, lying, evil, monsterous, bastard" Hook almost spat in Pan's face. Peter's eyes lit up and Amily was shocked to notice that he was amused.

"Oh, come now. What's the matter?" Pan was merely provoking him now, pushing him to take it that little bit further.

"YOU SAID IT WOULD WORK AND IT DIDN'T!" Hook was yelling now and breathing fast. Even from her position, Amily could see and hear the sadness behind the anger.

"You might as well have killed her. You might as well have taken her from me" Hook put more pressure onto Pan's gut, pushing him further down into the rock. Peter's face said he was still amused but Amily could tell from the look in his eyes that he was starting to hurt. He could still speak but his voice was forced, choked.

"You- are- a fool. Of course- it didn't- work" Pan grimaced in pain as Hook pushed further. Amily was sure the rock had broken skin by now. Amazingly, Pan continued speaking.

"The- Dark One- took- her heart. Without- a heart- there was- no way- she could be saved" Pan managed an evil smirk and Hook, fueled by anger and despair, punched him across his jaw.

"Peter Pan, I'm going to kill you. I'm going to make you feel all the pain I felt when my last chance and saving my Milah had failed" Hook turned slowly so that both him and Pan could see Amily clearly. She tried to look strong for him but noticed that tears had started to fall. Hook wasn't done.

"And I'm going to make her watch" he said without tearing his cold gaze away from Amily's.

But when he went to begin his murder, Pan was gone.

"You still haven't learned, have you Hook? You can't touch me!" Pan was floating above Hook's head with his arms crossed. He was grinning wickedly, his teeth stained with the blood that was streaming from his cut lip from Hook's punch.

Hook was shocked at first but then he closed his eyes and smiled.

"No, you're right. I can't. I can't hurt the magnificent, the clever, Peter Pan" The pirate nodded to a crew member to his right.

"But I can hurt her" Hook pointed at Amily.

It took her a second to realize what was happening but by then it was too late. Everything slowed as she was pulled backwards by the hair and thrown on the ground at the Captain's feet. None of the Lost Boys made any effort to stop whoever had pulled her away. She didn't scream for help, every attempt at noise turned into meek grunts. She could see her 'brothers' just watching idly.

The hand gripping her hair tightly, released her and Amily saw this as a chance to get away... before her feeble attempt was blocked by a leather-booted foot.

"Now, now" Hook touched his sword to the fleshy bit beneath Amily's chin, forcing her to her feet.

"Your name, lass" he said in that smooth voice she had come to know well.

"Amily" she didn't stutter. There was no need, she wasn't afraid. Amily scowled at Hook, resisting the urge to spit in his face.

"Ooh, that's pretty" Hook lowered his chin now and looked at her evenly, his lips parted. Amily eyed the silver hook at the end of his left arm.

Slowly Hook bought down his sword and started to circle Amily, like a predator trapping it's prey. He spoke in low tones so only Amily could hear.

"You love him don't you, Amily?" he almost purred her name like a satisfied cat. "Peter Pan is so mighty, so heroic. He bought you here to this marvelous island and away from your miserable life so you have no choice but to fall deeply in love with him" Amily didn't need to know how the pirate knew all of this. It was easy for anyone to guess. She swallowed, still unafraid.

"What's it to you?" this wasn't a denial, Amily noticed. Well, now everyone knew. She was in love with Peter Pan, there was no hiding it now.

"Oh nothing, love, nothing" Hook was behind her now, whispering in her ear. He stroked her bare arm with his hook, barely breaking skin. "I just needed to know how much I can make him hurt" Amily was sure those words were only meant for her and she was the only one who could hear them.

Amily could practically _hear_ Hook grinning in her ear as he pressed harder and pulled his hook down her forearm and felt the warm stickiness of blood caress her skin. She winced but made no sound. Hook was watching Pan now and Amily looked over at the boy she loved. His face was expressionless but not concerned.

"Nothing. Hmph" Hook played the mock-confusion well as he fake-thought about another possible way to torture his old friend. And then he chuckled throatily.

"I'm truly sorry about this darling" Hook adjusted himself so that his hook was levelled over Amily's heart. The tip of it slid down her chest taking the lapel of her shirt with it. Amily was aware that some of her cleavage was showing. Her cheeks were hot.

"Last chance Pan before I take her heart out" Captain Hook pressed harder and Amily began to feel the tinging pain.

"What do you expect? An apology?" Peter's voice was indifferent.

"I want you to feel the pain I did. I'll kill her, I swear I will" Amily detected something interesting in Hook's voice. It almost sounded almost desperate as if he didn't know why Pan was reacting this way and not the way he wanted.

Amily searched Peter's face for something, anything that would show that he had a plan to save her. She had no doubt that Hook would push his replacement of a hand deep into her chest taking her life with it but Pan didn't look like he was in any hurry to make a move to stop him. With two words, everything Amily had built up in her head about this marvellous boy, this wonderful savior, was destroyed. The truth had finally come out.

"Go ahead"


	17. Chapter 16

Amily felt everything about her crumble. She started to sob even while near death. Pan looked at her like the pathetic insect she felt like inside. Her heart was shattered. This was no ploy, Pan really didn't care what happened to her. She felt pirate's hook go slack against her chest. If he couldn't hurt Pan what was the point?

Peter Pan was on the ground now staring at them both with a playful look in his eye. Though there was nothing gleeful about it, just pure evil.

"Well then. I guess there's nothing left for us here, mates." The pirate addressed his crew then turned his attention to the leader of the Lost Boys.

"You really are a soulless monster" Hook didn't sound satisfied but she didn't expect him to give up so easily. Amily really thought he would do it. But what would that prove? That he was a murderer? Hook was a pirate after all.

Scratching her once more- though not purposely, it still hurt- Hook roughly pushed Amily to the ground at Pan's feet. She landed hard and just lay there, feeling small.

"I'll leave you to deal with this one" Captain Hook didn't sound sympathetic but there was something else there. Surprise or disgust, one or the other.

"Regards, Killian. We'll be in touch" And just like that the two partners parted ways as if the whole affair had not even happened.

Amily didn't see the pirates leave but she heard heavy shuffling and even some chuckles. Gradually the footsteps grew softer as they made their way back to their campsite.

Now was the time to be mad yet Amily was unsure if she had the strength. She could feel Pan looking down at her. She wondered why she could always feel his gaze. Yesterday she thought it would be because they were drawn to each other but apparently she was as blind as she was broken.

Stumbling to her feet, Amily looked around at the other Lost Boys whom she had called family. None of their faces showed any compassion. Some were even amused. Felix looked on with a cool curiosity.

Amily didn't hold back, she just burst into tears. Through her tears she could see Peter Pan roll his eyes.

"So it was all fake then?" she sobbed.

"Oh no. Not all of it" Amily felt a sliver of hope. And then she saw Pan's face.

"After all these years, it felt so good to be wanted. I've got to say, you're addictive" Peter Pan raised his eyebrows and grinned wickedly. Amily knew what he was referring to and was disgusted... and ashamed.

"And when you threw yourself at me like the little whore that you are, I thought why not have a little fun? Us, boys haven't felt the joy of female companionship in what feels like forever" Pan seized her then and pulled her in to get one last lust-filled dose but Amily fought against him. He couldn't get ahold of her as she squirmed in his arms.

"I was just glad I got first try of our new toy" Pan whispered this in her ear and forced every inch of slease into the words that she closed her eyes and shuddered. He threw her around then feeling her in all the places she hoped he would never touch her again.

"But now that I've gotten all that I wanted, I have no use for you anymore" With one brutal push he thrust her backward into the mass of Lost Boys. What happened next she would never forget.

All the boys hollered excitedly and suddenly there was hands all over her, feeling her up in all places. They touched her chest, her bottom, her hair. Their dirty hands were caressing her whole body. Amily felt violated, she had no choice but to scream.

"Stop it! Let me go!" she squealed. Hands pulled her hair and rubbed her back and belly.

Finding new found energy she pushed against them. She bit, punched and kicked wherever possible. And then Amily was free. Without looking back she bolted into the jungle, wishing to get as far away from the camp as possible.


	18. Chapter 17

**~Hey guys, this is where the prologue fits into the story. So you don't have to go back and read it I've put it below so it fits well with the current direction the storyline is heading~**

Amily ran. Through her panic she realized how well she knew the forest and how easy it was to navigate and avoid stumbling. She guessed it was just one of the many things that had changed since she had come to Neverland.

She could hear the whooshing of a certain somebody flying above her. He seemed to be giving her a head start. Through that and the sound of her running feet, twigs snapping beneath her, Amily could hear the whooping and tribal cheering that was the Lost Boys gaining steadily.

"This is a game to them" she thought to herself.

Something dived next to her only to climb quickly back into the sky and she could smell the scent that she thought she knew as well as her own. Wood, nettles and pine needles. Pan was taunting her.

The sprinting footsteps behind her quickened and Amily turned her head. Through the thickness of bushes and shrubbery she could see Felix running effortlessly, a cruel smile on his face. He winked as if knowing there was no escape.

Which, Amily figured, there probably wasn't. Pan had said himself, no one gets off the island without permission. But there was no way she wouldn't try. She could not, would not, stay here. Not a chance.

As if thrown into some adrenaline filled craze, the boys behind her hollered excitedly. Amily could hear a chuckle coming from above her. It didn't sound as far away as she thought.

Her heart had lept into her throat and all other thoughts abandoned her but one. Escape. She had to escape. Forcing what energy she had left into her tired legs she pushed forward, not giving in. The excitement and gleeful apprehension felt by all around her was so sickly vibrant, it was as if she could feel it wrapping around her like a net.

A hysterical giggle erupted out of Amily as she heard her chasers footsteps begin to slow down. This was it! She was finally free. Even the sound of Pan flying overhead had ceased and all was quiet. She couldn't stop running, not now. Even though the boys had given up no where was safe until the sun came up.

The feeling of freedom and victory disappeared as though it never existed when Amily felt hands atop her shoulders, hauling her into the air. Once high enough off the ground the hands let go letting Amily plummet to the ground. A small fall, but high enough. She hit the ground hard and hated the dizzy, dazed feeling that followed. Shaking her head free of it she rubbed her eyes, stunned.

Above her stood at least 6 Lost Boys, Felix included.

He nodded to someone standing behind her and Amily let out a scream. Her attempt to scramble off the ground and fight her way free was cut short when a sharp pain was felt at the back of her head. And then there was only darkness.


	19. Chapter 18

Amily woke with a pain in her head and her heart. She knew from the smell of cooking meat and smoke in the air that she was back in the last place she wanted to be.

But this time she wasn't in front of the fire or in a tent or treehouse. She sensed a closed-off feeling and when she opened her eyes, they met bars. Bars all around her. So Pan had put her in a cage, she wasn't surprised. Through the bars below her, Amily noticed that the cage that held her was tied off the ground by at least 8 feet.

She tried to remember anything from after she had been hit on the head. But there was nothing. Nothing except darkness. Must've been a bloody hard hit.

Amily wondered how long they'd keep her in here or whether Pan or his brothers would even interact with her at all let alone feed her. At the thought of food, her stomach rumbled and she tried to remember the last time she had eaten something. Probably before she and Peter had...

Amily let out a sob. She had let Pan go past all boundaries because she was convinced he loved her. Now the thought of being anywhere near him repulsed her. How could she have been so stupid? Amily knew the answer. Because she was in love. She tried to summon up all the hate she could muster in the hopes of forgetting how she felt about Peter Pan. But there was only the stinging feeling of betrayal followed by brutal embarrassment.

Enveloped by thought and the smell of charred meat she found herself getting drowsy once more and before she knew it, her head leant against the hard bamboo bars of the cage, she was asleep.

There were no dreams, only nightmares. All with Pan's cruel laughter and disturbing words. Her mind seemed to want to repeat the conversation that played out the day before over and over before the words had inked themselves to her memory. In the dreams Pan spoke to her in that cool condescending voice.

"Amily. Wake up, dear Amily. Silly, silly girl..." he crooned.

She woke with a start. She knew before she looked around that her cage was on the ground, twigs and sticks were sticking in through the bars. Amily also knew that she wasn't alone.

"Ah I was wondering how long it would be" said a voice as familiar to her as her own.

Pan and Felix were standing above her, leaning on the roof of her cage looking down with expressions so cheerful she was almost convinced that they cared whether or not she awoke.

"Felix, go fetch the lovely lady some food" Pan's voice was mocking and it made Amily mad.

"Flattery won't make me come back to you" she croaked.

"Oh I know that. Who said I wanted you out of that cage? The best creatures are satisfying to see locked up. Being trapped suits you" He laughed as though it were a running joke.

"I hate you" it was unneccesary and Amily was unsure if it was completely true but she felt like it needed to be said. She hoped it made her look tougher than she felt. Pan faked a hurt look.

"That hurts me Amily. It really does" The hurt look was gone now though, there was only wicked playfulness.

"But we'll see how you feel after I offer you my deal" Amily's head perked up at this and she looked into Pan's eyes.

"Whatever you're offering means nothing to me. I'm not interested"

"We'll see whether you're saying that after a few days in this cage" Was all Pan said. After drawing his gaze up and down Amily's body he stalked off.

Felix returned not long after with a wooden plate of burnt meat. She supposed he picked the worst bits for the prisoner. He slid the plate through a slot in the cage while whistling a cheery tune. Amily didn't bother pleading with him, Felix was Pan's right hand man. It'd be like pleading with Pan himself. Demeaning and useless.

"You tell Pan that he can keep me in this cage for as long as he wants. I'd rather die than be with him"

Felix just grinned at her before he left Amily alone in her cage.

Pan came every day after that. Mostly just to talk to her and feast his eyes on his caged pet. Everyday Amily felt more uncomfortable in his gaze. But there was no where she could hide in the small cage. She now knew what it felt like to be a fish in a bag.

Sometimes Pan sat down beside her just on the outside of the cage. Amily was afraid to be this close to him. He did most of the talking, just about silly things like which boys went on the hunting party and how he felt about that or the fight that happened between this person and that person.

Amily wasn't interested in anything except what he was going to offer her. She knew that whatever it was she'd never accept it but the suspense was knawing away at her sanity. She didn't even know why Pan stayed. She considered that it could just be some way to tame her and bend her to his will but Amily knew that that would never happen.

"And then George shot at the thing but-"

"Tell me" she said suddenly, interupting what Pan thought was an interesting story. Amily had no need to elaborate, Pan knew what she was talking about.

"You're interested all of a sudden?" Pan laughed and all Amily could do as scowl.

"Okay, here are the terms of our deal"

"_Your_ deal. I haven't accepted yet" Amily pointed out.

"Right" He grinned.

"So, you have three choices. First, come back to me and be with me forever. _Forever_" He purred the last bit and stuck three fingers through the bars to stroke her cheek.

"Second, you can stay and rot in this cage" Pan said this so bluntly it shocked her to think that he was actually making it an option.

"And the third?" Amily was struggling to speak, she was so shocked.

"The third is that we throw you to the mermaids and let them have you" He just stared at her then. Amily wondered what he thought and whether he anticipated what she did next.

This time, there was no holding back. Amily leant forward in her cage, looking like she might whisper something. Then, without warning, she gathered saliva and spat in Peter Pan's face.

Of course, he didn't like that. His face turned an ugly shade of red and he stood up abruptly.

Peter Pan walked away from her cage taking her last chance of getting out with him. Before he was completely away though, he turned around to say one last thing to Amily.

"I'll say this to you once so you can get it into your thick, harlot's skull. You can stay as silent as you want or scream and beg and plead until you are blue in the face, you will never _ever_ leave that cage or this island. I'll see to that"

And he never came back.


	20. Chapter 19

Amily tried to maintain her sanity during those long days and nights in her cage. But things were difficult. She didn't notice it at first but to others around her, they could see the effects of being locked up clearer each day. She was almost aggresive to the daily Lost Boy bringing food to the slot in her cage. So much so that it was almost animalistic, predatory.

And the stench was unbelievable. Amily hadn't bathed in what felt like forever but really had only been about a week and a half. Relieving herself was also a problem. There was a small slot at the back of her cage and she pitied the poor soul that had to empty it every day.

But she never lost hope. Pan would give up one day. Surely he wasn't this cruel. Deep down he had a soul, didn't he?

There was so little to do in that cage that sometimes Amily found herself questioning everything. There was no where else to go but deeper into her own mind and her thoughts just kept on coming in waves.

One day, it was decided. If they wouldn't let her out of this cage then she'd let herself go. There was no other option.

That evening, her plate returned untouched. And it was the same the next evening, and the one after that. Amily could feel herself becoming weaker each day. Feeling her face she felt the sharpness of her cheekbones more defined and everything about her was thinner. She knew that when the time came, she would welcome the relief like a warm hug. But Amily had no regrets, she had said it herself. She would rather die than be with the monster that ruled this island.

It seemed like her skin turned more yellow each moment and Amily no longer had the strength to convince herself that she imagining it. Her fingernails were chipped and dirty and yellow. But somehow Amily found the strength to laugh at one thing. Pan's face if he could see her now.

One night when Amily was too tried to even attempt at adjusting herself comfortably to go to sleep, she saw a light.

At first it was just a dim light in the distance but Amily knew that it was her time. The light had come to take her away. She didn't expect it to be so blinding and warm. Amily raised a slim, blistered hand to greet it but met nothing. The light just hung there in mid-air and flickered a little.

"Amily?" a voice called out. The light was getting closer now and Amily strained to remember the voice. It sounded vaguely familiar unless her mind was once again playing tricks on her.

"Who's there?" Even her voice didn't sound human. It was just another animalistic sound mixing with the jungle.

"It's-" The name was blurred. Now was not the time to black out. Someone was here, she had to stay awake. Because if she didn't, Amily was unsure if this time she would wake up. This could very well be another hallucination.

"Amily" The voice was in front of her and so was the light. She could smell something strange in the air. It was blinding up close but through it she could see a face. It was a very dirty face with a bruise over it's left eye. Examining the face in pieces and then putting it all together Amily recognised the Lost Boy that had come to see her. It was Charlie.

The young boy looked into her cage with wide concerned eyes. She knew he couldn't help being disgusted. Anyone would be at just the sight of her.

"Charlie? Wha-" Amily was losing it. She desperately tried to cling to conciousness but it was slipping beneath her fingers.

"What've they done to you?" Charlie whispered. His concern was touching and it made Amily's weak heart swell.

"They didn't- I-I stopped eating" She croaked. The company was helping but her eyes were starting to droop.

"I know. That was three weeks ago, Amily. They've stopped sending plates to you" Amily wasn't surprised. She guessed she would do the same if someone she had locked up wasn't accepting food. Although, it still hurt. Charlie wasn't done talking though.

"That's why I brought you this" He held up a burlap sack which looked like the one the boys had put over her head when they had captured her after she ran. That was where the smell was coming from. Charlie had bought food. He was smiling at her now and Amily could've cried.

"I can't have that Charlie" Her voice sounded like sandpaper over a coarse surface, "I can't let Pan keep me like this"

Charlie's face fell and he gripped the bars desperately.

"You need to stay alive Amily. Please" The boy's voice broke on the last word and Amily thought he might cry.

"Why?" she sounded juvenile, like a child.

"Because you're all I've got. I've never had friends on this island and I- I don't remember me family. You need to stay alive because I need you" it wasn't a confession of love but it might as well have been because Amily was filled with something she had not had in a long time. Hope.

"Okay" she said weakly. Charlie almost laughed in relief.

"What've you got in there?" Amily sniffed at the bag and the Lost Boy opened it to reveal apples, bread and meat. Not the charred garbage that she had often been given but fresh, pink meat.

"I've also bought an extra canteen with some wa'er" he held it out for her and the sharp, easy smell that came with the canteen and filled her nose alerted her that water was what she wanted most.

"Water" she wheezed. Charlie handed the canteen through the bars without hesitation. With weak fingers Amily removed the wooden cap and practically poured the water over herself. She gasped with pleasure and gulped the remaining contents of the canteen down her dry throat.

"Oh Charlie, that was marvellous. Thank you" Charlie smiled but she could see the worry in his eyes.

"Something to eat?" he asked casually, as if they were on a picnic.

"Please" Amily could hear improvement in her voice since gulping the water. Charlie handed her a slice of bread and she bit down on it gratefully. It tasted like heaven.

Charlie began to tell her of what had been happening at the camp over the last two weeks. She ate her bread, apples and meat as he spoke and Amily had never been more happy to have wanted, needed company.

"Pan's been so angry all the time. Yesterday he punched Harry in the nose. Harry was out for a few hours" So Pan was mad. This was and wasn't a surprise. He had left her, enraged but Amily thought he would at least try to control it when it came to his brothers.

"There's something else too" Charlie spoke quietly now. "It's not just punches, he's been doing worse things. He challenged Aaron to fight him after Aaron bought home a basket of them poison berries. I don't know how Aaron was that stupid, he's been here almost as long as Felix has. Anyway, Pan skewered Aaron within the minute" The words Charlie had spoken hung between them like a bad smell. Amily had never liked Aaron but she was saddened to learn that he was dead. Murdered, more like it.

" But it's not just Aaron either! Fed George to the mermaids, he did! They pulled him apart like a loaf of-" Charlie noticed the ill look on Amily's face and stopped right there.

"I've been staying hidden most days. Keeping to meself. I've tried talking to the other boys to see if they was interested in runnin' but none of them would even fink about it!" Amily found Charlie's way of speaking cute. It was like his brain was moving too fast for his mouth.

Amily wanted to stay awake and talk to Charlie all night. But after eating and drinking for the first time in almost a week she knew that sleep could come easily and, more importantly, safely.

"Stay safe, Charlie. I'm so glad we're-" Amily was asleep before she could finish. When she woke in the morning Amily could vaguely remember Charlie's hand stroking her cheek gently and whispering something under his breath before he left.


	21. Chapter 20

Charlie came every day after that, bringing food and water aplenty and Amily's strength gradually began to return. She felt stronger every day. Charlie also bought news of whatever was happening back at the camp. Pan kept on lashing out, There were fewer Lost Boys everyday.

But surprisingly Charlie remained. He had cuts and bruises all over his face but he managed to survive Peter Pan's rage.

"I fink even Felix is noticing Pan's behavya. But he doesn't do a damn thing about it" Charlie spoke fast because he didn't have time to say much.

The whole camp was leaving for a game of Capture the Flag in ten minutes and he had to hurry. Amily knew it was difficult for him to come everyday as well as sneaking food and water and she wished she had someway to protect him from inside the cage. There was a sinking feeling in her heart that knew that Pan would kill Charlie some day. Charlie was a good hunter and he kept to himself and didn't get in much trouble. But he was still some what a threat to Pan's strict disciples that were his Lost Boys.

"I've gotta go now, Ammi. I'll be back tomorrow" Amily wasn't sure if he spoke too fast to say Amily properly or that they had gotten to the nicknames stage of their friendship. Charlie clasped her hand before running back down the beaten path from the cages.

Amily was left alone and she did the only thing that she could really do anymore. She slept.

Running footsteps woke her and Amily looked around in alarm.

"Hello?" Her voice was less croaky now and she almost sounded intimidating.

The footsteps quickened. They didn't sound very far away.

"Who's there?" Amily's voice was frantic now. Who was running to her?

"Charlie, is that you?" As if on cue, Charlie emerged from the bushes and ran toward her cage skidding to a stop on his knees.

"Amily- I - I tried to stop them. I couldn't- I'm sorry-" He was out of breath from running so much. Amily was confused and concerned.

"What? Charlie, what's wrong?"

"They're coming Amily! Pan's coming with Felix and two other Boys. Them cruel ones they are, I know it. I don't know what they're going to do to you, but it ain't good" Charlie was almost in hysterical tears, he was so frightened.

"Did they follow you?" Amily's only concern was her guardian angel. If they hurt Charlie, she didn't know what she'd do.

"I dun fink so. But they're coming for you, Amily! We've got to get you out of here" Charlie began rummaging in his cloak.

"How, Charlie? The cage is locked. Pan has the key" Amily looked at Charlie's concentrating face as he studied the cage. He looked down at her with a crazed look.

"Not anymore" Fron beneath his cloak, he pulled out a key with a twine cord for putting it around the owner's neck.

Amily spoke slowly, "Charlie. Where did you get that?"

"Swiped it from Pan while he was sleepin'. Now, come on" Charlie fumbled with the lock with shaking hands.

"They'll kill you!" shrieked Amily.

"Not if I outrun them" Charlie sounded determined but not convinced that his plan would actually work.

The cage door swung open and Amily was frozen with the thought that freedom was right in front of her. After being locked up for so long, she was free. Just like that. Despite the current situation, Amily emerged from the cage slowly. She took her time remembering the feeling of it all. The feeling of dirt beneath her was wonderful. The feeling of air that wasn't stuffed in a cage was fabulous. The first thing she did once she was out of the cage was pull Charlie into her arms.

"Oh Charlie. _Thank you_" She hugged him tightly and he returned the hug, if a little hesitantly.

They were both on their knees now. Amily was still in the clothes she wore when she was locked up. She leant back on her knees to look at Charlie. His face was still concerned but there was a bit more hope in his eyes.

"Listen, we don't have much time. Do you have a plan?" She didn't but now was the opportune time to think of one.

"We'll have to split up, Charlie. Pan will come after me first, I'm what he wants the most. As soon as you're away, stay hidden. Okay?" It wasn't a good plan but she would do everything she could to keep Charlie safe.

"I'll run to the Echo Caves, I fink I know my way around them pre'y well. You'll have to head the other way" Amily tried to think about the opposite direction to the Echo Caves. Jungle, cliffs and right below that, Mermaid Lagoon.

"Okay, sounds like a plan" Amily tried to smile convincingly but she wasn't sure how this night would play out. "Where do you want to meet after we've led them away?" She continued.

"I don't think that would be the best idea" Charlie looked sad, like he was thinking the same thing Amily was.

A rustle in the bushes made them both jump suddenly. Amily realized that so much time had been wasted while they sat on the ground in silence. She stood up abruptly. Or at least, attempted to. With the loud cry her legs gave out from beneath her and she was back on her knees.

"Oh, my legs! Damn" After being locked up for so long, Amily's legs weren't used to their sudden usage.

"Just try to stand up first. Slowly" Charlie was on his feet now, looking down at her. Amily could tell that he was anxious to get away as quickly as he could. Neither of them knew how far away Pan really was.

Amily forced her legs to support her and she could practically hear them crying out in pain. They were stiff and once she could stand she tried taking a few steps. Each muscle felt rusty, like it needed to good oiling.

"I- I think I can walk. Running could be a problem if I'm chased, but I should manage" Amily bent her legs a couple of times to stretch the muscles. They each felt like they were on fire.

"We need to split up" Charlie sounded like he was reminding himself and Amily turned her attention from her legs to him.

"We'll see each other again. I promise" She pulled him into another hug.

He barely came up to her shoulder and she was reminded with a blurred memory of her brother Timothy. She hadn't thought of him in so long and the feeling of it was foreign to her. Amily was so convinced she had forgotten everything about her past. That her future with Pan could possibly replace it.

"You're the closest thing I've had to family, Amily" Charlie spoke slowly, enunciating everything perfectly.

"Don't, Charlie. This isn't goodbye okay?" Her voice was high now, frantic. It cracked on the last word.

"I'll cover you until you get to the copse, alright?" It was the least Amily could do. Charlie was her saving grace and she'd risk her life.

So off they went, trudging through the jungle, Amily's legs groaning in pain the entire time. Charlie went first to be the one to look around corners and behind trees for hidden scouts. They found none and reached the copse unscathed.

"You'll be okay, right?"

Amily smiled to make it look like she was confident. Inside, she was screaming.

"I'll be fine. We'll see each other soon" She said again. Charlie nodded and just like that, he disappeared into the jungle. Amily was alone.

That was when the real fear set in. Any noise that she heard made her flinch. It was like the whole jungle was living to scare her... and watch her.

Amily began to hike uphill away from the Echo Caves. Along the way she had time to think about everything. Her time in a cage, Charlie, Pan and how this night could go. She was determined to not let Pan touch neither her nor Charlie. It was just the two of them now.

Once Amily reached Dead Man's Peak she decided to rest. She looked up at the cliff in awe and wondered how many a soul had been left to die right at the top. What a horrible way to die. She walked over to the creek nearby and dipped her face in the water, gulping it down heavily.

Once she was finished, Amily just sat on the ground. Desperately trying to catch her breath. She was exhausted.

"Congratulations" a voice said from nearby. Amily knew that voice from her nightmares and her wildest dreams. That silkily smooth voice that dripped persuasion and seduction. She raised her chin and closed her eyes. Pan had found her.

"For what?" she said confidently. Amily wasn't afraid anymore. She was angry.

"You passed my test" Pan still hadn't emerged from his hiding place but his voice sounded like it was right next to her.

"Locking me up was your test? Starving me? That was all a test?" Amily tried to control her temper and succeeded. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

"Come out now, Pan. I'm not afraid of you"

"Oh but you should be, Amily. You really should be" His voice was a whisper in her ear and she could feel his breath on her neck.

Amily turned and looked Pan in the eyes. They were empty and she felt nothing toward them. They was no pull. Just dull, empty, green pits of evil.

"Yeah? But I'm not. So, what do you want? Are you here to take me back to my cage?" The rage inside of her was insatiable and it showed on Amily's face. Peter Pan just smirked.

"Oh, of course not. I want to play a game. You know how I like games" Amily could swear Pan was almost purring.

"What kind of game?" she asked, not giving in to his seductive playfulness.

"Hide and seek" Pan offered his game plainly as if it really was that simple.

"You have an unfair advantage. You can fly, therefore you can see everything on the island" Amily knew there was no way out of this game but she wanted to slow Pan down as much as possible. She knew how much that pestered him.

"I'm prepared to stay on hard ground if you play"

"What's in it for me? I win, there's still no way off. You win, you get me and I lose my only chance at a free life"

"You could have a life with me Amily. You know that don't you? We could be free together, you and I" Everything about Pan's little act was as fake as his feelings were for her. She didn't believe one word of it.

"You're a liar and a monster. I will never come back to you" she spoke slowly, drawing out every word.

"So is the game on or not?" Pan was above pretending now. He knew it was a lost cause.

"Depends... what are the stakes?" Amily was playing with him now. Whatever rules he was laying down or bribes he could offer, she wouldn't accept.

"Well my version of Hide and Seek is a little different" Pan was circling her now and Amily watched him, amused.

"Felix has found Charlie" Pan said bluntly.

The words took a long time to sink in but when they did, Amily resisted the urge to fall to her knees.

"Please, don't hurt him" she said, shakily.

"Well that's the point isn't it? He's hidden and you have to find him before I, or any other of the Boys, find you. Are you up for it?" Pan said slyly.

Amily thought it over in her head. It couldn't be easy to find Charlie and escape at the same time. But she owed it to Charlie to try.

"Fine. Start counting" Amily watched Pan cautiously as he grinned at her wickedly. He knew she would accept, it was all part of the plan.

"One... two...three..."

Amily retreated into the bushes, Pan's voice becoming fainter with each step.

She knew that they held Charlie at the camp. Amily didn't know how she knew but she did. She guessed it could have something to do with the fact that Pan wanted to set the stage perfectly for his new game and at the camp, everyone could see how powerful he truly was.

She ran as fast as she could on her tired and sore legs and soon the smell of burning wood filled her nose and stung her eyes.

But that wasn't what stopped her from walking.

Screams. And not just anyone's. These screams were from her saving grace, her guardian angel. Charlie. Screaming her name.

"Charlie! CHARLIE!" She ran towards the scream and straight into the camp, pushing past the crowding group of Lost Boys.

"Amily!" Charlie saw her before she could take in the sight in front of her.

Felix held Charlie against him with a knife to his throat. From what Amily could see Felix was pushing hard. A thin line of blood trickled down his neck and down his shirt.

"Shhh, Charlie. Don't move" she reassured him that everything would be okay, to the amusement of the Lost Boys around them. Charlie's face was sad. He knew what came next and Amily wished she knew how to prevent it.

Amily turned her face to the sky and, not caring who was watching, screamed at the top of her lungs. Not a scream of terror or fear. Amily screamed in frustration.

"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? I'M HERE, PAN. COME AND TAKE ME. JUST LET CHARLIE GO"

"No need to shout" said a voice behind her.

Amily whirled to see Peter Pan standing calmly behind her. His Lost Boys flanked him like the loyal followers they were.

"Is was never a game, was it? You were never chasing me to begin with!"

"I knew you'd figure it out" Pan said smoothly.

"You've got me now. What are you going to do with me?" asked Amily angrily.

"You know," Pan walked toward her now, saying a word every step. "There was once a time when I would've killed to hear you say that to me. Just ina different context" many Lost Boys snickered.

"Look, Pan. This is between us. So let's settle it. Right now" She met him face to face, looking him right in the eyes.

"Okay then" In one fluid motion, Pan swept Amily into his arms and flew into the sky.

Struggling was pointless so she just gave up and lied there in his arms while Pan flew them to a place where they could talk.

He settled on a cliff overlooking Mermaid Lagoon.

Pan set Amily down right at the edge so that she could see the steep drop to the water and felt dizzy. She wondered if whether he was using this cliff as a threat. Like he might actually push her off it.

"This is where you want to talk?" Amily's voice was shaking and she was ashamed.

"You know I'll kill him right?" He ignored what she had said and got straight to the point. "I will. Unless you do what I say" There was no emotion in Pan's voice. It was as empty as the Echo Caves.

A plan had formed in the back of Amily's mind but she wasn't sure if she was brave enough to actually enact it. It was better than nothing but she couldn't help but weigh the consequences in her mind.

"I want you, Amily. More then I've ever wanted anyone before. We can be young together. Join me. Be with me"

Amily thought she was stalling for time but really, she wanted answers.

"But you have no heart, Pan. I know that now. You cannot love, you only want and hate. And that is why, when it comes down to it, you're weak. Deep down you know, you will never find what you seek" She could see Pan trying to take in what she said. It was an unusual moment, like she could see him thinking.

"But I know that I need you Amily. Please, we can start again. Come back to me" Amily could see through it all. Every last dressed-up lie.

"Peter, I will never come back to you. But I've realized something" Amily ignored the hopeful look on Pan's face.

"I've realized that I don't hate you. I pity you. You will never know love. Never"

With those parting words and one last playful smile, Amily turned to look down the cliff. She could've hesitated but there was no time for it. She didn't remember jumping, but in an instant, she was flying down the cliff toward the black water below.

The last thing she heard before she hit the water was her guardian angel calling her name in a blood-curdling scream.

The Mermaid Lagoon sure was a sight. From above it was a black abyss. But below the surface, Amily could see an entire colony. Mermaid's circled her with curious gazes on their fierce faces. There was nothing human about them. They were alien to her.

Before she had the chance to swim to the surface, a mermaid swam in front of her to stare at her peculiarly. She was awfully beautiful and she looked at Amily with the oddest of gazes before she grinned and held out her hand.

Amily could not draw her eyes away from the creatures violet eyes. They were hypnotic and beautiful. With a mind of it's own, her hand slid into the mermaids and she grasped it tightly.

Suddenly everything was blurred as she was pulled down deeper into the black abyss. Sharp blades of seaweed scratched at her face and stung her eyes and Amily fought the tightness of the mermaid's grasp.

Everything was getting darker and Amily could feel herself slipping. This was how it ended. She'd see Charlie again soon.

Through her dazed consciousness Amily was aware that the mermaid had let go of her but she hadn't the strength to swim away. Everything in the sea was so peaceful it would be so easy to let go right now.

Amily was hauled over the shoulder of her savior and rushed to the surface. A panicked thought flickered at the back of her mind. Maybe Pan had dived in to pull her out and torture her some more back at the camp.

But when oxygen filled her lungs once more, Amily realized she was still at sea but whoever had hold of her was swimming against the tide. Suddenly she was thrown upwards. Amily knew that somehow she was dreaming. Maybe this is what the ascent to heaven was like.

But it was not white clouds or soft sand that her body landed on. Something hard and smelled of sea-salt. Planks of wood. A wooden surface beneath her.

Amily rolled over and coughed up some water. She rubbed her eyes to free them of water and looked around. At least five men surrounded her. Not boys, but men.

Captain Hook emerged from behind them and knelt down to look at Amily intently before holding out his hand for her to take.

"Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger, mi'lady"


End file.
